


Looking To Belong

by BiggerTinySword, GaySolace



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, And are Sorry in Advance, Angst, Annoying Wynonna per usual, Baddie!Nicole, But She's an Angsty Teen Looking for Real Love, Champ is gross, Child Abuse to Be Precise, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Minor Character Death, Nicole has tattoos, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Abuse, References to Drugs, Slow Burn, This is one of those fics where you should read the notes for TWs, Upload Schedule? What's that?, Violence, Waverly is a Bitch at First, We are Crackheads, What is New Though, When You Imagine a Daddy its Nicole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:07:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 132,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21583534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiggerTinySword/pseuds/BiggerTinySword, https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaySolace/pseuds/GaySolace
Summary: Cheerleader and Brainiac Sophomore, Waverly Earp, returns to school from Winter Break, finding out Purgatory High has received a new redheaded student. And lucky for her, the office has put her in charge of guiding her around for the first week.Though, the new tattooed Junior doesn't seem to be as thrilled as she is.Join Nicole and Waverly on their journey finding themselves in one another, but not without some bumps in the road, of course.Some very, very big bumps in the road.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp/Champ Hardy, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp & Nicole Haught
Comments: 551
Kudos: 1020





	1. Get Smart and Nothing Can Touch You

**Author's Note:**

> Queef here 😄:  
> OK.  
> About 3 months ago, I got bored and spit this beautiful thing out of my brain, but then I had nowhere to go with it, so I forgot about it.  
> But THEN the marvelous GaySolace came along and gave me her beautiful brain magic. And after spending about 3 days brainstorming, we are finally getting somewhere with it.  
> YAMHP chapters have been a little slow lately and that is because of this mess right here. BUT. I am not stopping that story at all. In fact, this story is the one doing the stopping. We're about 3 chapters and 13,000 words in, but this one is the only one we will be posting for a little while.  
> See this chapter as almost like a teaser, though it is a full-fledged part. I want to keep my focus on YAMHP and I'm sure that is what everyone else wants, too.  
> I'm not entirely sure how long it will be until I start splitting my time between the two, but it will not be for a while, so don't worry.  
> TW: little tiny ableist bit   
> I really hope you guys enjoy this because I feel like this story could become something amazing.  
> Let us know below!

**January 5th, 2019, 7:34 AM**

“Wynonna, it’s in here!” Waverly shouted from the living room, finding the Psychology textbook they had been scouring the house for the last 10 minutes for. “Hurry _up,_ we’re going to be late!” 

The older girl clomped down the steps, grabbing the book from her outstretched hand and shoving it haphazardly into her bag. “Thanks, Babygirl,” she said with a smile, heading towards the door. 

Waverly let out a sigh, turning the lock on the door and pulling it closed behind her. The January morning sent a chill down her spine as she fast-walked to Wynonna’s jaggity truck, climbing in and slamming the door, hoping the door handle didn’t pop off again. She rubbed her hands up and down her coat-covered arms in hope to warm them a little as Wynonna started up the truck, turning the heat on full-blast. She backed up and did a quick u-turn, pulling out of the driveway under the Earp Arch.

Waverly had been waiting for this day since December 23rd. She was _finally_ going back to school after Winter Break and couldn’t be more excited. Wynonna was just happy that she was winding up the final bit of her Senior year, somehow getting enough credits to graduate. Then again, it was the younger girl’s _Sophomore_ year and she _also_ almost had enough credits to graduate. She was _told she_ could jump a year, maybe two. But she didn’t want to. She wanted to live out all four years of high school just like everyone else had to. And, plus, being a 16-year-old in a class of 18-year-olds sounded pretty terrifying. 

Eh, who was she kidding? She was taking all Junior and above classes already anyway. 

Wynonna put the car in park in the school’s parking lot, her sister giving her the side-eye after seeing how she had just parked sideways over at _least_ two spaces. “Nonna, come _on_ ,” she huffed. 

She pulled the keys out of the vehicle, tossing them to her. “You move it,” she said with a shrug, stepping out and throwing her bag strap over one shoulder. 

Waverly sighed, opening her door and climbing out, doing a little jog to catch up with her. She smacked the keys into her hand. “When Curtis gets around to fixing my Jeep, _this_ won’t be a problem.” 

Wynonna smirked, wrapping a tight arm around her shoulder, squeezing way too tight. “But you _love_ carpooling with me.” 

She groaned, wiggling out of her grip. “I fear for my _life_ every time I ride with you.” 

“You’re awake now, aren’t you?” she asked with a smirk, pulling the front entrance door open. Waverly rolled her eyes, giving her a shove into the building. They parted ways, Wynonna’s locker being on the right-wing of the school and Waverly’s being on the left. She made her way down the hall, greeting all the teachers and staff she walked past with a big smile and wave. 

She got to her locker and spun her lock dial around, smiling at the familiar sound of metal slamming from the number of people getting ready for their first day back. She organized her things a bit before grabbing what she needed for the morning and closing it. She made her way back down the hallway towards the cafeteria to see if Chrissy and her friends were there yet. 

Her ears perked up at the sound of the announcement tone sounding off. “ _Waverly Earp, please report to the office, Waverly. Earp. Please report to the office._ ” She cocked an eyebrow as she swung a right instead of going straight. _What could they want?_ She wondered as she rounded one more corner, pulling open the glass door of the office. 

“Morning, Mrs. Randal!” she greeted, leaning her hip against the front desk. 

The secretary looked up with a smile, removing her glasses. “Waverly! How was your Christmas?” 

“It was good! How was yours?”

“Very good!” she confirmed. 

“So . . . What did you need?” she questioned, quieting her excitement level a little. 

She clapped her hands. “Right!” Waverly set her things down on the counter, leaning on her elbow. “I have a job for you,” she informed. “If you are interested, that is.” 

The brunette raised her eyebrows in curiosity. “Oh?” 

“We just received a new Junior. And we thought you would be _just_ the person to be her buddy for the next week or so as she gets settled in.” 

A small smile inched onto her face. It was rare that they got new people in Purgatory, let alone a student. And any opportunity for her to make a new friend, she was going to take. “Of course!” 

“Yea?” 

“I’d love to!” 

Mrs. Randal smiled, placing her glasses back on and digging through the pile of papers in front of her for a few seconds. “Here we go,” she said, setting a sheet from the middle of the pile on top. “It says here that you two have . . .” She clicked around on her computer, pulling up an online copy of Waverly’s schedule. “two classes together this semester . . . AP World History and P.E.- Oh! And lunch.” 

She handed her the paper she was looking at and Waverly looked it over. “ _AP World History, Pre-calculus, Spanish 2, 4a Lunch, AP English, P.E, Anatomy, ooh, Criminal Justice_ ,” she mumbled aloud to herself as she read over the Junior’s schedule. She skimmed her eyes up the paper, focusing in on the top left corner. “Nicole _Haught_ . Hmm.” _That was a new one_ . She looked back up to meet the secretary's eyes. “Sounds good! When will she be here?” After a blink, she noticed Mrs. Randal was not looking at her, but behind her. She furrowed her brows, turning around. She jumped, coming eye to eye with a . . . neck. She took a step back and let her eyes fix their confusion, looking up at the girl’s face. Yes, quite literally _looking up_. She was about 9 or 10 inches above her own height. 

The choppy jaw-length _bright_ red hair was what first caught her eye. Then the black-framed, roundish square glasses. She traced her eyes down, seeing an intricate anchor tattoo on the side of her neck and two words written in calligraphy across her collarbones that were cut off by her low-neck grey tee. She had a black leather jacket on with a brown messenger bag backpack thrown over her shoulder. Her eyes continued down to her skinny black ripped jeans and black combat boots. “Are you done yet?” The girl asked with an unamused sigh. 

She snapped her eyes up to her’s, clearing her throat. “Yea- Sorry, uh-” she stuck her hand out, “I’m Waverly,” she said with a friendly smile. She hadn’t been trying to come off as creepy. She was just . . . different. And she wasn’t quite used to different. 

She gave her a firm handshake, giving the brunette the chance to notice the _incredibly_ realistic lion on the back of her right hand. “Haught- Erm, Nicole,” she corrected. “Nicole Haught.” 

Waverly turned, grabbing her things and shifted back to face her just as the morning bell rang. “Ready?” 

“Is anyone?” she mumbled, following her as she opened the front door, letting her out first. 

“So did they give you a tour at all yet?” the brunette questioned. 

“Nope,” she sighed, sidestepping around someone walking right down the middle of the hall. 

“Oh . . . Well, if we eat fast enough at lunch, I can ask if we can go take a walk around?” 

“M’kay,” she mumbled as they walked into the classroom. 

Waverly looked up at her with pursed lips. She could at least _try_ and answer with more than one word. “This is a full class. There’s only one desk open, so that’ll be your seat.” 

“Cool. Where?” 

Waverly walked back 3 rows and set her stuff on her desk. “That one,” she said, pointing to the desk next to her’s on the right. Nicole dropped down into the chair and dropped her bag on the desk, pulling a binder and book out before moving the bag to the floor. The brunette sighed as she got herself situated. She kept wondering how she got those tattoos. The legal age was 18, so unless she flunked a grade, she was not. Or. Maybe she was? “Hey, Nicole?” The redhead looked over, blinking at her as she waited for her question. “How old are you?”

“16- mm, 17,” she answered. Waverly cocked an eyebrow. “17 as of today,” she clarified. 

“It’s your birthday?” 

“Mhm,” she mumbled, looking back down at the book she was reading. 

“Oh. Well, happy birthday,” she smiled. 

“Thanks,” she said, not looking up from her book. The redhead must have felt her eyes still on her, for she looked up at her with a glare several seconds later. “Do you have a staring problem or something?”

Her eyes widened, lips parting. “No! I was just-” 

“I know a guy,” she cut off with a grumble. 

Waverly furrowed her brow in confusion. “What?” 

Nicole held up her right hand with the lion. “All these? I know a guy. Now, if you’d stop looking at me like a Picasso painting, I’d appreciate it.” And with that, she propped her head up on her left fist and looked back down at her book with a huff of annoyance. 

Waverly’s face saddened. She was doing _great_ at the whole _making new friends_ thing. She got her laptop out with a sigh, knowing very well they’d be taking a shit-ton of notes today. 

**11:01 AM**

“You just use the barcode on your ID badge to scan for your lunch,” Waverly informed as they made their way through the line, lifting the lanyard up that was hanging around her neck towards the scanner. 

“I figured so,” she nodded, raising her eyebrows at her. 

She put her hands up in defense before picking her tray back up and walking out of the kitchen. “I’m just sayin’,” she mumbled. 

“Well, I’m not a retard.” 

Waverly’s lip hitched as she gave her a side-eye. She _despised_ that word. She led them over to their table, sitting down next to Chrissy. Nicole took the seat at the end of the table, a whole bench away from everyone. 

“Who’s Dexter?” Dolls asked. He was a senior like Wynonna that was somehow in their friend group, though he seemed to hate everyone in it. 

“Nicole. She’s new. I have to take her around this week,” Waverly answered, pushing a pear chunk around on her tray. 

“Where’s she from?” Chrissy questioned. Chrissy Nedley was a sophomore like her, and also her best friend since their first day of preschool, never _once_ leaving her side. Waverly gave her a shrug. 

“Is she nice?” Jeremy asked. Jeremy Chetri was a freshman that Waverly had met in her AP Chemistry class. And they had become really good friends, always helping each other on homework that no one else understood. 

“I mean . . .”

“You guys know I can hear you, right?” Nicole grumbled, looking up from the book that she seemed to always be hovering over. 

They all turned to look at her, and Waverly gave her an apologetic smile. She fixed her glasses before looking back down with an eye roll. 

“She’s kinda hot,” Mercedes smirked. Nicole looked up at the comment, catching a wink from the other redhead.

Waverly swore she saw a smirk on her lips as she looked back down. 

Mercedes Gardner was a junior. And she certainly was . . . a character. That’s probably why Wynonna became friends with her in Jr. High. 

Speak of the Devil. 

Wynonna walked along the table, knocking everyone down the line on the back of their head with one of her textbooks. She set her tray down next to Waverly before wrapping her arms around her shoulders from behind, rocking her back and forth. “Hi, Sissy,” she squealed, spazzing her hand around on the top of her head. 

Waverly smacked at her, hitting the side of her face. “Get _off_ me, Wynonna,” she complained, tugging at her arms. 

The older girl let her lose, going to sit down, but stopped. She squinted over at the redhead.

“Leave her alone,” her sister mumbled, pulling on her arm. 

She tsked, jerking her arm away and walking around the table towards her. She kneeled one knee on the bench, reaching out her hand to poke the anchor on her neck. 

The junior shot her hand up, gripping it around her outstretched finger. “Touch me and I’ll break your _fuckin’_ hand.” 

The brunette tore her hand back, standing up straight. Nicole immediately pushed herself up from the table, standing a few inches in front of her with a cold stare set on her face as Wynonna sized her up, looking at her from head to toe. 

A small smirk worked onto her face. “You look good, Haught Stuff.” She gave her a playful smack on the shoulder. 

A smile pushed onto her lips. “You’re _still_ annoying, Earp.”

Wynonna laughed, pulling her into a hug. 

The rest of the table watched in confusion as the duo quietly talked to one another as if they’d known each other forever. “I thought you said you didn’t know her?” Jeremy asked, furrowing his brows at the brunette.

“I don’t. I’ve never seen her before today,” she affirmed. “I dunno how _they_ know each other.” They all shrugged, continuing on with their lunch. 

“Do you got someone to show you around?” Wynonna asked. 

“Yea . . . _Waverly_.” 

Her brows went up. “You know that’s my sister, right?” 

Nicole’s eyes widened as they darted over to the younger girl who was smiling as she conversed with the blonde sitting next to her. She thought back to years past, recalling the times Wynonna had mentioned her. “I do now,” she mumbled as she met her eyes. 

“ _Ya_. And if you fuck with her, don’t think I won’t rip you a new asshole.” 

“I _won’t_. She shouldn’t have a reason to hang around me, anyway.” 

The brunette tipped her head. “She’s _Waverly_ . She hangs around everyone. And you’re gonna be hanging with me, so that means you’ll be seeing a lot of _her_.” 

“Who says I want to hang with your dumbass anymore,” she scoffed. 

Wynonna rolled her eyes, punching her stomach as she walked back to her seat. Nicole grabbed her tray and book, following her over and sitting next to the buff guy with resting bitch face. “Guys, this is Haught Pocket. She’s a horrible person, so that means _you’ll love her_.” 

“ _Haught Pocket_ . . .” Waverly whispered aloud to herself as gears turned in her head. She suddenly reached across the table, snatching up Nicole’s hands.

“ _Dude-_ ” 

She grabbed the pinky on each hand, looking at her fingertips, letting out a snort. She picked up Wynonna’s left hand, grabbing her pinky as well. On Wynonna’s left and Nicole’s right was a smiley face tattoo. “ _You’re_ Haught Pocket!” 

“According to her, I am,” she grumbled. 

“She came home with this when she was like . . . _14_!” 

“Uh-huh,” she nodded, looking down at her hand where the brunette’s grip still was. 

She quickly let them both go. “ _Wow_ ,” she breathed. Wynonna had told her stories over the past few years of someone she only called _Hot Pocket_ . She never clarified if they were a boy or a girl, how old they were, where they were from. Just _Hot pocket_ . Well, _Haught_ Pocket, she now learned. _And_ when Gus and Curtis found out about the tattoo, the only thing she’d say about it was that _it was Haught Pocket’s idea_.

“So . . . How _do_ you two know each other exactly?” Mercedes questioned, asking what the whole table wanted to know. 

“Oh, we go _way_ back,” Wynonna answered quickly with a smile, leaning forward onto her elbow. “When’d we meet, when I was . . .?” 

“ _I_ was 12, so you’da been 13, I think,” Nicole nodded, pointing at her with her slice of pizza. 

Wynonna smiled, snatching one of her sister’s tater tots. “So, this is Babygirl, Chrissy Wissy, Jer Bear, ‘Cedes, and Xavy,” she informed. “There’s a few more that just have a different lunch period.” 

They all threw her a look, saying their actual names at once. 

“Call me Nicole or Haught, I don’t care, just not one of her stupid ass nicknames.”

“They are _not_ stupid. I work hard on those, ya know.”

“Oh, I bet you do,” she sighed. 

**11:17 AM**

There was about 10 minutes left and Waverly realized that both her and Nicole were done with their food. “Hey . . . You want to go and walk around now?” 

Nicole looked over to her. “Uh . . . Yea, sure.” They both stood up and walked over, stacking their trays before heading out of the cafeteria. 

“So . . . How’s your day been, so far?” 

“Meh,” she shrugged, sticking her hand in her jacket pocket. 

“How long’s it been since you’ve seen Wynonna?” 

Nicole let out a raspberry as she thought about it. “About . . . 7 months,” she said with a nod. 

Waverly looked up at her, wondering why it had been so long. She quickly remembered the whole staring thing and brought her eyes back forward. She walked up to a set of closed doors, standing up on her toes to look through the window. “That’s the main gym. Boys’ P.E. and all the sports games are in there. The girls have P.E in the old gym.” 

“D’you know how far into the season the basketball team is?” She asked as they continued on. 

“First game was in the middle of November. There’s 2-3 games a week and around 35 games a season, so we're about halfway through.”

The older girl looked down at her with a cocked eyebrow. “Do you just know everything about the school or something?” 

She looked up at her with pursed lips. “ _No_. Wynonna plays and I’m a cheerleader.” 

“ _Ah_.” 

They walked on, Waverly showing her all the important rooms. The library, the auditorium, the tech lab, the Nurse’s office, etc. “Do you think they’d let me on the team if I tried out now?” Nicole asked. 

“If you don’t suck, then probably,” she shrugged. The redhead threw her a look. “Did you play at your other school before you came here?” 

She slowed down a bit, blinking at her. “Did they not tell you where I came from?” she asked confusedly. 

Waverly stopped, turning to face her. “No . . .” she answered slowly with the same look on her face.

The redhead started walking again with a sigh. “I just got out of juvie, Dude.”


	2. It Seems to Run in This Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did somebody say juvie?  
> Let's jump right into that WayHaught angst
> 
> *DISCLAIMER*  
> hey guys, it’s solace. You’re about to meet the sweetest lil OC and I want y’all to love him ! It’s an order! We love this little guy so much it’s our son so be nice or I will personally write the most intense angst in history :) okay enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef, back at it again:  
> Solace and I have no impulse control so here this one. We've decided y'all should be getting a new chapter every Tuesday from here on out as of now! Enjoy!  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Solace incoming....:  
> What’s up y’all, Queef made the bad decision to promote me from beta to co writer...let’s see how long it takes for her to Regret It! Anyway just wanted to introduce myself since I’ve been silent till now, wassuh comin at ya (I’m terrible I’m sorry). Hope you’re in for a ride guys, you’ve got two crackheads with no impulse control writing this story....bless. Enjoy the chaos that will ensue.

**January 5th, 11:23 AM**

Waverly shook her head around at this new information. “Wait, hold on,  _ juvie _ ?!” She walked quickly to catch up with her, grabbing onto her arm. “You’re one of  _ those _ friends of Wynonna’s?!” 

“What d’you mean  _ those friends _ ?” she questioned, somewhat offended. 

“I mean the ones that  _ screwed  _ her up and turned her into a  _ criminal! _ ” 

Wynonna had gone to juvie for the first time at 13 for shoplifting 10 bottles of Advil out of a Walmart. And it was just a slippery slope from there. Three months after she got out, she was back in for selling cigarettes. By 15, she was addicted to  _ and  _ selling Oxytocin and at 16, it was heroin. She put herself in rehab after she was arrested for a big bust, and by her 18th birthday she seemed to be on the straightened arrow.  _ Finally _ . 

Nicole tipped her head at her. “We  _ met _ in juvie. Her second time there, my first. And we became friends. So _no_ , I didn’t  _ turn her into a criminal _ .” She let out a scoff, turning away. 

“Oh, but I bet you two did some  _ shit _ together!” She stomped to catch up with her, grabbing onto the front of her shirt. “I swear to God, Nicole. You better not show back up in her life and get her all messed up again. I  _ just _ got my sister back and I am  _ not _ gonna lose her again.” 

The redhead shoved her hands off of her, face slowly turning the color of her hair as her eyes went hard. “Does it look like I want that?! Does it  _ look _ like I wanna have to sell dope so my baby brother doesn’t have to sleep on the streets?! Does it  _ look _ like I wanna have to look over my shoulder my whole life?!  _ No _ ! That’s why I set myself straight. And that’s why I’m working two  _ fucking _ jobs right now. So,  _ please _ . Leave me the  _ fuck  _ alone because I’ve got enough  _ shit _ to worry about right now.” She pushed past her, roughly knocking her shoulder as she went. 

Waverly turned, following her with her eyes as she stormed down the hall and around a corner. She threw her arms up, letting them fall and smack against the sides of her thighs. 

“ _ Great  _ first day back,” she grumbled, sulking off in the direction of her locker. 

**12:22 PM**

“I hope you girls didn’t think that today would be a free-day. After I give you your locker and lock, you’re getting changed and we are starting up our basketball unit,” the teacher said. This class’ last semester had been health, so they were just now starting PE. “And don’t get all excited thinking you are going to be able to get a locker  _ right next to your best friend _ \-  _ No _ .  _ I _ picked them. They’re in order of your last name that way if there is a problem or you forget your code or something, I’ll be able to know right away which one’s yours.” She paused, picking up a plastic box and setting it on the table next to her. “When I call your name, come and pick up a lock.” 

The middle-aged woman that looked like she couldn’t even run half a lap around the gym started calling off names, starting with the beginning of the alphabet. “~. . . Earp.” Waverly pushed herself off the wall and walked over to her. “Oh, thank God, you’re the good one,” she breathed. Waverly gave her a half-assed smile. She grabbed a lock and got her code and locker number before turning and walking towards the locker room doors. “Haught.” 

The brunette sucked in a deep breath, rolling her eyes.  _ Of course no one had an F or G last name between them _ . She pulled the door open, walking into the foul-smelling locker room that was probably 40-years-old. She followed the rows of lockers with her eyes until she found the beginning of 70. She walked down the line, stopping in front of 77. She opened it up and set her uniform down. The sounds of boots hitting tile filled her ears, but she kept her gaze forward as she tugged her shoes off. 

But her eyes drifted as Nicole pulled her jacket off. It had been shielding the shoulder-to-wrist robotic arm sleeve inked onto her left arm. Her eyes widened and she pulled her sweater off. 

_ Oh shit _ . 

Her arms jerked around over her head, trying to free herself from her current situation. But it was useless. She had just gotten stuck in her shirt like a 5 year old. 

“Nicole, help me,” she whined, not being able to see her, for it was hanging over her eyes. 

“ _ No _ .” 

“Ok, I’m sorry about earlier, I shouldn’t have said that. But,  _ please _ , will you get me out of my  _ damn  _ shirt?” She heard a sigh and felt warm hands still her arms, then pulling to free her from her shirt, tossing it at her as she turned back to her locker. “Thanks,” she mumbled, pulling her light blue PE shirt over her head. 

“Mm.” 

She thought her eyes had widened when she glanced over last time, seeing the sleeve. But now the girl was turned with her shirt off as she reached down on the bench to pick her other shirt up. 

And normally, she’d be against any kind of gun tattoo. 

But that was  _ normally _ . 

Across the top portion of her back was a watercolored handgun shooting out origami swans. She didn’t get a  _ good _ look at it because she quickly tugged her shirt on over it, but it was still enough to push a small smile on her face. 

She finished getting changed, keeping her eyes to herself  _ for once _ , and walked out of the locker room, doing a jog to catch up to her fellow sophomore brainiac, Rosita Bustillos. “I can’t believe we have Diaper this year,” she grumbled. 

“Tell me about it,” Waverly sighed. Their P.E teacher wasn’t actually named Mrs. Diaper. It was  _ Draper _ . But she was not liked by  _ any  _ student and usually smelled pretty bad, so the nickname came about. 

After a few more minutes, she blew her whistle and all of the girls jogged over to her. “I’ve split you into 4 groups of 6, 2 teams of 3 in each. Three of the groups will be playing at each of the different hoops and the other is just going to have to sit until we rotate. This is just a simple 3 on 3, don’t try and make it something crazy.” Mrs. Draper began listing off names, directing them to a starting hoop. “. . . Earp, White, and Bustillos ‘n Davis, Lynch, and Hock. You’re off first.” 

Waverly nudged Rosita’s arm, both smirking at one another as they walked over to the wall they were told to wait by. 

“Wazorski, Tanner, and Klein ‘n Diaz, Purdue, and Haught. Head to the far wall.” She tossed a basketball in their direction. Nicole grabbed it after it bounced once off of the floor, dribbling it a few times as her group made their way over to the hoop. 

Waverly and Rosita slid down the wall, sitting down. Mrs. Draper blew her whistle and the girls started. “I don’t wanna go to the game tonight,” Rosita complained, rubbing her eyes. “I’m still hurting from the Holiday Tournament.” 

She had to agree with her there. The Boys  _ and _ Girls basketball teams had a co-ed Tournament over break where the best players from each teamed up to play a handful of other teams from other schools. It didn’t count for the season, for it was just a way to show some school spirit, raise some money for charity, and keep them active over the break, but it was for four days and the cheerleaders had to scream cheers and perform halftime shows all day long. 

Waverly groaned, crossing her arms over her knees and dropping her chin to rest on top of them. “And Coach is gonna be all pregnant and hormonal with us at practice,” she grumbled. 

Rosita let out a grunt in response, mirroring her position. Waverly looked from group to group, watching the girls doing their thing. There were a few basketball players on each team, so it was pretty funny to watch them play together against people who had no idea how to dribble a ball. Her eyes drifted to the last group- Nicole’s group. It looked like she  _ wasn’t _ lying. She didn’t suck. She moved along just as good, if not better than the actual player on her team. “So  _ that’s _ the new girl you and Jer were talking about in Chem.” 

“Yep.” 

“Do you know what she was in for?” 

“I know she used to be a dealer, but I don’t know if that’s what it was.” 

“Damn,” she mumbled. “She seems so . . .  _ normal _ .”

“She  _ is _ normal,” the brunette corrected with a cocked eyebrow. 

“Normal people don’t sell drugs, Wave.” 

She sighed, looking back towards the redhead, watching her take a shot from the three-point line. The ball fell right through the hoop.

**3:16 PM**

Nicole nervously tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel of her black 2002 Toyota Camry that she had bought from a Used Car shop a year before. She traced her eyes across the sidewalk of the grade school, finally spotting her brother trotting towards her.  She mashed the window button, poking her head out. “Nash, let’s  _ go _ !” 

The 7-year-old picked up the pace, running across the parking lot towards her car, quickly climbing in the front seat and buckling up as she pulled away. “The big kids walk slow,” he grumbled. 

“Yea, well, I can’t be late for work, Bug,” she said gently, turning out of the lot. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” 

She looked over at him with a soft smile, running her thumb across his wrist. “How was school?” It had also been his first day at Purgatory’s grade school.

“Good . . . They all call me Ginger, though.” 

She laughed, rubbing her hand around on the top of his head. “Get used to it.” 

Nash and Nicole looked  _ basically _ the same. Same color hair. Same nose. Same dimples. The only differences were that his eyes were bright green and her’s were brown and that his hair was short and floppy on top with shaved sides and hers was, well,  _ not _ that. They had both been blessed with horrifyingly horrible eyesight, so he wore a pair of Nicole’s navy blue framed hand-me-downs that fit his face. 

“Do you have homework or anything?” 

“Nope.”

“Mk, good.” She pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot and found a spot to park. They got out of the car and Nicole grabbed a bag from the backseat before walking inside. “Go find somewhere to sit,” she said, squeezing his shoulder. He nodded, walking off to a table in the corner of the restaurant, sitting down and pulling a book out of his backpack. She smiled, heading off to the bathroom. 

After she changed into her uniform, she put the bag in the car and walked back inside, heading behind the counter. 

“Coley?” 

She stopped, turning around and leaning forward onto the counter to face her brother. “Hmm?” 

“Can I get apples?” He asked softly. 

Her brow creased as she stood up straight. “Yea, Bug,” she sighed, pulling her wallet out. She stuck a $1 in the register and took two quarters before turning and grabbing a bag for him. “Make it last till dinner, alright?” 

He nodded with a smile. “I will.” He walked back to his seat and she let out a raspberry, thumbing through the bills in her wallet. A $10, two more $1s, and some change.

If she didn’t get paid today, they’d be sleeping in the car again. 

**9:04 PM**

“Go! Big Blue, let’s go!” The Girls Varsity basketball team sprinted up and down the court as the last minute of the final quarter ticked away, trying to keep their 4 point lead. Waverly eyed Wynonna from the sidelines as they cheered. The ball got passed to her and she pivoted her body around, trying to get out of the double-team the defense put up. She dribbled back a few steps, moving to cut up the middle. 

But she stopped, hearing the whistle blow. She looked towards the referee with a furrowed brow. He signaled to the stat keepers a travel and she rolled her eyes, tossing the ball towards him. 

The other team threw the ball in with 10 seconds left and the Blue Devils successfully kept them from scoring. The bleachers let out some cheers as the team lined up, fist-bumping their opponents before jogging off to the locker room. 

Waverly let out a relieved sigh as she grabbed her bag and took a seat on the bottom row to wait for her sister. “I want to go to sleep,” Chrissy complained, plopping down next to her and leaning her head on her shoulder. She let out a long groan in agreement, leaning her head on her’s. 

The older Earp came out several minutes later. “Ready, Babygirl?” 

She pat Chrissy’s leg before standing up, blinking the tired out of her eyes. “Mhm.” They walked out of the gym and she tugged a jacket on before they walked outside. 

“I’m hungry,” the older one complained, twisting her key to unlock her truck door. 

“You’re  _ always  _ hungry,” she mumbled, teeth chattering as she climbed in and pulled the bottom of the jacket over her knees. 

Wynonna threw her a look, starting the truck. “You up for some McDanks?” 

She glared over at her annoyedly. “We have food at home!” 

“We don’t have Big Macs at home,” she smirked. 

“Wynonna, I want to go to  _ bed _ .” 

“You’ll sleep better with a Big Mac in you,” she sighed, pulling out onto the road. 

**9:22 PM**

“They make ‘em dig holes,” Nash explained, looking up at his sister. They had moved to one of the booths in the restaurant and he was leaning back on her chest, sitting in between her legs as she had her back pressed against the wall. He had been rambling about the book he had started reading, Holes by Louis Sachar. 

Nicole nodded with wide eyes, shoving a fry in her mouth. “Holes?” 

“Yea! Just holes. Everywhere. All day long!” 

“Why?” 

His brow furrowed as he looked down at the book in his hand. “I dunno yet.” 

Now, of course, _she_ knew. She remembered reading the book when she was younger. But he didn’t have to know that. 

She tapped her finger on the cover. “There’s a movie for this, ya know?” 

He gasped around the half a cheeseburger in his mouth. “Really?” 

She nodded. “I’ll try and find it when you’re done with it.” He smiled up at her and she rubbed her thumb along his stomach where her hand was resting. He scooted back closer to her and handed her the book, wrapping his arms around her tattooed one and tracing his finger along one of the gears. She opened the book to the page he had bookmarked, clearing her throat. “All too soon, Stanley was back out on the lake, sticking his shovel into the dirt . . .” 

One of Nicole’s favorite activities had always been reading to Nash. She had been doing it before he could even lift his head up. And in doing so, her passion for reading had rubbed off on him. By three, he could read and write, and by five, he was reading chapter books. Now at the ripe age of seven, he was a first grader reading books that the average fifth grader read. And that was explainable. He had been surrounded by books 24/7. But he was just smart in general. Everything came naturally to him. And she had no idea where he got it from. 

“‘What'd you tell her?’ asked Magnet. ‘I told her I stole the seeds,’ said Stanley. ‘Good going,’ said Magnet. ‘What'd she do?’ asked Zigzag. Stanley shrugged one shoulder. ‘Nothing. She got mad at Mr. Sir for bother-” Nicole stopped, head snapping up in the direction of the fry that just hit her in the side of the head came from. She let out a huff. “Seriously, Earp?” 

Wynonna let out a snort as she plopped herself down across the table from them. “Mind if we join you for storytime?” 

Waverly shot her a glare from where she was standing next to the table. “Wynonna,” she whined. She had been very adamant about going home for the past 15 minutes. 

“ _ Waverly _ ,” she mocked in the same whine. “Sit your booty down, you’re not gonna die if you’re not in bed by 10.”

She slumped down next to her, crossing her arms. “You might,” she muttered under her breath. 

Nicole sighed, setting the book down on the table. She slowly pushed her hand through her brother’s hair. “How was the game?” 

“We won,” she said into the Big Mac. “Which is surprising considering the refs were almost as blind as you two.” 

“Cute.”

“I’m not  _ blind _ ,” Nash defended.

Wynonna raised her eyebrows at him. “You’re pretty close to it.” 

He tipped his head back to look at Nicole. “We’re pretty blind, Bug,” she said with a laugh. 

He grinned evilly, picking the book back up. “Do the thing.”

“No.”

“ _ Please _ ?” he begged. 

She pursed her lips as she took the book from his hand and removed her glasses. She cleared her throat dramatically as she opened to a random page. She brought the book a few inches away from her face, slowly moving it back as she squinted at the words, trying to comprehend some of the blurred shapes that were  _ usually  _ called  _ letters  _ on the page. “I  _ think  _ that says Stanley.”

“Every page says  _ Stanley _ !” he laughed. 

“Psh.” She put her glasses back on and tossed the book on the table. “I can’t see shit.” Nash looked up at her with raised eyebrows. “Sorry,  _ crap _ ,” she corrected. He smiled, patting her cheek. She scoffed at him, ripping the glasses off of his face and holding them above his reach. 

“ _ Noo _ ,” he whined, pawing at her arm. He sat up and spun around, getting up on his knees as he reached up. She smirked, switching hands, holding them out in the other direction. “Coley, quitt! Give ‘em back!” 

“Uh-uh.” She continued to hold the glasses out of reach as he whined for a few more seconds, the Earp sisters watching in amusement. Nash finally stalled, looking down at her and pulling the glasses off of her face and pushing them onto his own. He turned back around and leaned into her with a huff, crossing his arms. 

She let out an impressed laugh, pushing his child-sized ones onto her own face. She had to admit that he had always been a pretty good problem solver. 

“You Haughts are  _ wild _ ,” Wynonna sighed, finishing off her burger. 

Nicole pulled a fry out of the box, pointing at her with it with a wink. “In more ways than one."

Her face scrunched up. “Gross, Dude.” The redhead smirked at herself, shoving it in her mouth. 

“Waves!” They all looked over to the voice that boomed across the room. 

Waverly’s eyebrows went up and a small smile pushed onto her lips. Wynonna turned back to face Nicole, rolling her eyes with force, a disgusted snarl taking over her normally smug features. Waverly stood up from her seat and walked over to meet half-way with the tall boy in a Blue Devils away jersey. “Is his tongue down her throat yet?” Wynonna questioned, leaning forward onto her fist. 

Nicole met her eyes, lip slightly hitched at the sight as she put her hand over Nash’s eyes after switching their glasses back. “He looks like he is about to rip one of her ass cheeks off,” she mumbled. 

Wynonna’s head snapped around to see her sister up on her toes, hands cupping his neck as his were wrapped around her, gripping her ass tightly. “ _ Hardy _ !” She barked. The couple quickly pulled away from each other’s lips, turning to look at her. “You better watch it.” His eyes widened and he removed his hands from her butt, putting them up in surrender. Waverly smiled bashfully, a blush forming on her cheeks. Wynonna rolled her eyes again, looking forward.

Nicole subtly watched on as he put his hands on her shoulders and dipped his head, whispering something in her ear. And whatever it was made her eyes widen. She turned around and said something, shaking her head as she tried to pull his hands off hips. But he tugged her closer with a begging smile as he spoke. 

The redhead moved her hands up again to cover Nash’s ears. “Does he always try and convince her to let him get in her pants or just tonight?” She questioned, narrowing her eyes at them. 

Wynonna twisted her head in their direction again, eyes growing cold as he kissed down her neck. She climbed out from the booth and marched over, smacking him on the side of the head. He detached his lips, letting her go and stepping back. “Quit sucking on my sister, Bong Breath.”

His mouth dropped open in offense. “I _do_ _not_ have bong breath!”

“So if you mysteriously get called to the office for a drug test tomorrow, that puppy’s gonna come out clean?” She questioned with a cocked eyebrow. His lip twitched as he quickly turned away, clomping out the door. Wynonna watched his back as he left, turning back to her sister. “You ok, Babygirl?” 

“I’m fine, Wynonna,” she grumbled, walking back to their seat. “And I can handle my own boyfriend, thank you.” She slid into the booth and the older brunette sat down after. 

“You sure looked to be handling it.” 

“I was!”

“Would you chill out? I didn’t do anything!” 

She scoffed. “You threatened him with a  _ drug test _ , Wynonna.” 

“It’s not my fault he’s a stoner,” she grumbled. 

“He’s not!” Wynonna tipped her head at her knowingly. She pursed her lips, pulling her phone out of her coat pocket. “How do you even know that?” she mumbled. 

“How do you  _ think _ I know that?” she questioned. Waverly threw her a glare.  _ Of course she used to be her boyfriend’s dealer _ . 

They were pulled from their argument at the sound of Nicole clearing her throat. They looked over at her, seeing her hands still over Nash’s ears. “Let’s maybe  _ not _ talk about your pothead boyfriend in front of the 7-year-old, yea?”

“Sorry,” they both mumbled. She shook her head with a smile, pulling her hands away. 

Wynonna’s eyebrows went up and she leaned forward. “I want ice cream. D’you want ice cream, Nashbrown?” 

His face lit up but fell as he turned to look at his sister in question. “Are you gonna go to sleep tonight if you eat all that sugar?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” he promised with a quick nod. 

“Ok. Go on then.”

He quickly scrambled off the bench, running to catch up to Wynonna. Nicole swung her body around so her feet were on the floor and picked up their dinner trash, getting up to throw it away. She sat back down and put his book in his backpack, zipping it up right as the duo returned, each sporting two ice creams. Wynonna handed one to her sister and the little redhead offered one up to the older one. “Earp,” she sighed, looking up at her as she took it. 

“It’s your  _ birthday _ , eat the damn ice cream.”

She pursed her lips as she begrudgingly complied. But she wasn’t going to lie. It had been a hot minute since she had had ice cream, so she wasn’t  _ that _ mad that she spent money on her. 

They two older girls spent the next couple of minutes talking about stupid shit as they all finished. Nash let out a yawn, curling under her arm into her side. Nicole looked down at him, moving the hair out of his face. “Ready to go home, Bug?” she asked softly. 

His head jerked upwards, eyes wide with fear. “ _ What _ ?!” 

Her eyes shot open when she realized how he had interpreted her wording. She dipped her head, whispering in his ear. Relief rushed over his face as she pulled her head away. He slid out of the booth and Nicole followed, handing his backpack to him. Wynonna stood up, kicking Waverly’s leg as she almost dozed off, leaning her head against the wall. “See you tomorrow, Shithead,” Wynonna said, smacking her arm. 

“See ya,” she said with a small smile. She gave a curt nod to Waverly as they walked towards the door. 

“Nicole?” 

She quickly turned at the sound of her manager’s voice. “Yea?”

The older woman called her over with her hand. She squeezed her brother’s arm as she walked over to her. “You’re pay card’s filled,” she informed. 

Nicole’s heart jumped. “It is?” She pulled her wallet out of her pocket, grabbing the card that her checks got automatically sent to and stuck it in the machine. Her brow tightened at the screen as she tilted her head closer to it. “That’s not right . . .” she mumbled, pointing at the $1,000 amount it said had been loaded on. 

Her manager looked down at it. “Hmm. I guess I wrote one too many zeros,” she shrugged. 

The redhead stared at her for a second. “. . . Are you going to fix it?”

She looked down at it then back up to the taller girl. “Nah.” 

Nicole continued to blink at her. “Vikki, that’s  _ stealing _ . You have to fix it.” 

The older woman shook her head. “It’s not stealing if it’s not from the company,” she pointed out. 

It took her a second to realize what she was saying. Her eyes softened, mouth coming open slightly. “No, I can’t-” 

“You can.” 

She shook her head, looking down at the amount again. “No, Vikki, I’m not gonn-” 

“You  _ can  _ and you  _ will _ ,” she said forcefully. “Because if I get here in the morning and see you and that baby sleeping in your damn car again, my heart is gonna shatter to a million bits and we can’t have that.” 

Nicole felt the little pieces of skin ripping from the sides of her fingers as she picked at them out of habit. “But we’re fine-” 

“ _ Nicole _ , it is -200 degrees outside every night and I  _ know _ there’s no way you have that heater on the whole time.” 

She pursed her lips, knowing she was right. Her eyes traced over her face as she tried to find words. “I . . .” 

The woman grabbed her shoulders. “Here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna go down to the motel on Barry and 4th and you’re gonna tell ‘em that Vikki from the Golden Arches sent ya. Once you get a room for a month, get that one to bed cause it’s 10 o’clock on a school night . . . Can you do that?” 

Her eyes widened. “A  _ month _ ? That won’t cover a mo-”

“That’s why you’re telling them  _ I  _ sent you.” 

Nicole pulled her card out of the machine, sticking her wallet back in her pocket. She was about to say something along the lines of a thank you, but the woman must have read her mind because she shook her head, pushing her towards the door. “Don’t thank me. Just get yourselves to bed, alright?” 

She nodded with a smile, walking out from behind the counter. She looked down at Nash and they walked towards the exit. As she opened the door for him, she looked back once more, giving her a smile and a wave. 

Nicole got them both in the car and started it up, backing out of her parking space. “Where are we going?” he asked in a tired mumble. 

“A motel,” she answered with a smile. 

**10:19 PM**

Nicole and Nash walked up to the front desk and she leaned forward onto it, tapping her wallet nervously against the counter. “How can I help you?” The old man behind it asked. 

“Uhh . . . I’m supposed to tell you that Vikki sent me and I need a room for a month or something like that.” 

He quickly looked up at her, eyebrows shooting up. “You must be Nicole then,” he said with a kind smile. She nodded slowly. “Well, Nicole, that’ll be $600.” 

“That’s it?” she questioned, handing him the card. She knew the average to get a room for a month around here was at least $1500. 

“That’s it,” he confirmed, handing it back to her with a key. “It’ll be the very last room on the right.” 

She nodded with a smile. “Thank you.” They turned and walked down the hall, and Nicole stuck the key into the door, pushing it open. She flicked the lights on, looking around the room. 

It was a relatively small one-bed room. But it had all the basics. A bathroom with a shower. A cable TV. A microwave and mini-fridge. And it looked clean, so they couldn’t ask for anything else. 

Nash dropped his backpack one step into the room, running and doing a belly flop onto the bed, landing like a starfish. Nicole laughed, picking it up and setting it by the closet door. “C’mon. Let’s go get our bags.” 

**10:40 PM**

“D’you brush your teeth?” Nicole asked with raised eyebrows, sticking her head out of the bathroom as she pulled a clean t-shirt on. 

Her brother looked up from the TV guiltily. “Yes . . .” 

“I guess I’ll just go ahead and rip 'em all out for ya then,” she sighed. “Since you  _ want _ them to fall out anyway.” He scrambled off the bed, rushing into the bathroom behind her. She spanked his butt, shoving his toothbrush into his hand with a smirk. “Didn’t think so.” He stuck his tongue out at her, looking at her through the mirror. She shot him a look, sticking her pinky in his ear. He let out a whine, swatting at her hand. 

She chuckled as she walked out of the bathroom and pulled the blankets back on the bed, sliding underneath them. She grabbed the remote from the end of the bed and shut the TV off. Nash returned a minute after. “Hey! Spongebob was on,” he complained. 

“It’s bedtime,” she reminded. “Turn the light off.” 

Nash hit the switch on the wall and climbed up on the bed beside her, handing her his glasses. She took her own off and set both pairs on the nightstand next to her, laying down. He moved over, draping his arm across her middle as he used her chest as a pillow. She smiled, hugging her arm around him. “When do we gotta get up?” 

“7,” she yawned.

“We getta sleep in?” 

She laughed sleepily. Their wake up time was usually around 6, but now that they were closer to the schools, they wouldn’t have to get up as early. “Mhm.” 

He let out a happy sigh, tugging the quilt up closer to his face. “Night, Cole.” 

She pressed a kiss into the top of his head. “Night, Bug.” 


	3. I'm Never Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Haught's have almost been in Purgatory schools for a week, so things are starting to settle down.  
> Or  
> Are they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef again: If for whatever reason you DIDN'T find this fic from my plug on You Are My Happy Place, you should definitely check it out!  
> Here's this one!  
> Starts the drug references and such, fair warning  
> OH  
> and maybe a smidge of sexual content?  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Solace here; happy update...enjoy yourselves ;) As always, declarations of hatred or the desire to yell at me is welcomed in the comments. See you next Tuesday!

**January 10th, 2019, 7:21 AM**

“Nash, your breakfast is gonna get cold! Let’s _go_ , I need to get in there!” 

The little redhead quickly got out of the bathroom, hair wet from his shower. He grabbed his plate of Eggos out of her hand and she handed him a Capri Sun, setting him on the small counter space. “You better be done with that when I get out, you hear me?” 

“I _will_ ,” he grumbled, grabbing one of the little McDonald’s syrup containers that was sitting there and peeling open the corner before beginning to pour an equal amount of syrup in every square. 

“Bug,” she said quietly, giving him a knowing look. He looked up at her with an angry glare, and she put her hands up, walking over to the closet and grabbing some clean clothes before heading to the bathroom. 

They had settled in quite nicely into their new living space over the past five days. She hadn’t remembered the last time that they were actually able to unpack their bags, so it was nice to be able to wear some of the clothes that had been shoved to the bottom of her suitcase again. She had also been able to do some actual grocery shopping, meaning they weren’t eating at McDonald’s every night and Nash was getting something to eat every morning before school. Sure, all they had was a mini-fridge and a microwave, but they made it work. 

School for them had been basically the same story. No one had really bothered the two. She got the occasional weird glance in halls, but that was either the hair or tattoos, both of which were uncommon there. And learning her way around had been no problem considering that the school was half the size of her last, so she hadn't needed Waverly after her first day. 

After a quick shower, she got dressed and opened the bathroom door as she stuck her toothbrush in her mouth to make sure Nash had finished eating. A small smile graced her face, seeing that he was laying at the end of the bed, hovering over his book. The TV remote was just as easily in reach, but that was just the kind of kid he was. He'd rather read than watch TV or play on Nicole's phone. 

She wiped her mouth off, flicking the light off and grabbing her boots, sitting down next to him to put them on. "Quit that," she tutted, pulling the collar of his shirt out of his mouth. He let out a grunt, flipping the page. He had never been a morning person. "Go get your shoes on. I'm gonna start the car." 

“Hold on,” he whined, gripping his book a little tighter. “Lemme finish this chapter.” 

She sighed as she stood, walking over and grabbing her keys off the TV stand. “You better be getting them on when I get back or you’re doing laundry after school,” she warned as she pulled the door open. He stuck his tongue out at her and she mimicked him, heading out to get the car warmed up. 

**7:53 AM**

Nicole slowed to a stop in the elementary school’s parking lot, pushing the button on her door to unlock them. “Go make some friends today.” 

“No,” he grumbled as she cupped her hand around the side of his neck and pulled him over, pressing a kiss to the side of his face. 

“Uh, _yes_ . I’m not getting another call from your teacher saying you’re being a _loner_ , reading by yourself at recess. No Haught is a _loner_ , you hear me?” She was serious, although the smirk on her face could lead you to believe otherwise. 

“I don’t see _you_ with any friends besides Nonna and that pretty girl,” he pointed out, tipping his head at her. 

She let out a scoff in offense. “First of all, I have other friends, thank you. Second of all, did you just refer to Waverly as “ _Pretty Girl_ ”?” she questioned with a laugh. His face stormed with a blush the color of his hair, and he let out a huff as he grabbed his backpack off his feet, pushing his door open.

She quickly rolled his window down as he closed the door. “I love you, Snookums! Have a _great_ day!” 

His face only got darker as he spun around with that signature _Angry Haught_ face. “Cole, GO!” He yelled, stomping his foot as he looked towards the kids getting off the bus next to them. 

“Say it back!” She said with a shit-eating grin, slowly turning the radio up on the Opera station she had used to embarrass him on _multiple_ occasions.

“ _NICOLE_!”

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” She put her free hand to her ear as she continued to crank up the volume, beginning to see the eyes landing on them. 

“Oh my God, I LOVE YOU, TOO!” He turned away once she shut it off with a wink, flicking his hood over his head as he marched towards the doors. She let out a content sigh as she pulled away from the school. Embarrassing her baby brother was one of her favorite ways to start her morning.

She pulled her car in the parking space next to Wynonna’s truck, climbing out and grabbing her bag just as the two Earp girls got out. 

“Sup, Biatch,” Wynonna greeted, knocking her with her shoulder when she met her at the end of her vehicle.

“Do you need me anymore?” Waverly asked the redhead with a huff. 

“Never did,” she said with a tight-lipped smile that got her a jab to the ribs from the older Earp. The smaller girl rolled her eyes, walking towards the school. 

“Be nice to her,” Wynonna grumbled as they began to follow her in. She turned her head for a double-take, squinting at her face. “You look tired,” she mused, tracing her eyes along the heavy bags under her eyes. 

Nicole raised her eyebrows at her. “Maybe cause I worked over _30 hours_ this weekend?” And that was true. Tuesday through Friday, she worked 3:30-10 at McDonald's. And she spent Saturday and Sunday at Walmart, stocking shelves from sunrise to sunset. Monday was her only day off every week, so she cherished it more than anything.

Today, thankfully, was Monday. 

“Well, why’d you do that?” The brunette scoffed as they walked to their lockers that they had learned were in the same hallway. 

“ _Because_ I like being able to pay bills?” 

She tipped her head with a nod. “Fair.” They split ways, Nicole stopping on the right side and Wynonna walking a little more and stopping on the left. “Where do you even live now, Haught Stuff?” 

Nicole’s heart did a hard thump in her chest and her hand froze on her locker dial. “Hey, what time’s the varsity game start tonight?” She asked, knowing damn well she was the master of deflection.

Wynonna cocked an eyebrow as she slammed her foot into her locker a few times to coax it to open. Maybe if she would take the time to _try_ and put her combination in slower, she wouldn’t be a senior that takes five tries to open her locker every time. “Starts at 7. You’re coming, right?” 

“Yea. Nash’ll be with me, too. He said he wanted to go.” 

“To see _me_? Aw.” 

“It’s a boy’s game, Earp. D’you even _know_ your schedule?”

She was silent for a second before letting out a quiet, “ _Dammit_.” The redhead rolled her eyes, grabbing her history textbook and closing her locker. Wynonna grabbed her stuff for her first few hours and walked back over to her, both heading towards the cafeteria. “What're ya doin’ after school?”

“Laundry,” she said with an eye roll, knowing her day off was one of the only times she had a chance to run to the laundromat, and she had unfortunately lost the bet with Nash.

“Dude, come _on_ ! You’ve been here almost a week and we’ve _barely_ even hung out yet cause you’re so _fucking_ busy all the time!” 

“I’m sorry!”

“Tell you what. If it’s not a close game by the half, we’re ditching to the parking lot so I can have an _actual_ conversation with you.”

They turned the corner, walking the ramp to the cafeteria, searching around for their friends. “Nash is gonna be there.” 

“He can stay inside,” she defended. “I’ll make Waves and Chrissy keep an eye on him.”

“Wy . . .” She hated doing that to him. He already had enough separation anxiety as it was. 

“ _Haught_ ,” she said in warning. “He’ll be fine. He’s gonna have to learn at some point.” 

She had a good point, but she still hated doing it. “Fine. But you’re buying him ice cream if he has another panic attack cause of your shit.” 

She agreed with a small smirk as they sat down. She immediately turned her head, smashing her lips into the guy next to her’s. Nicole rolled her eyes and shook her head, knowing that seemed to be a daily tradition between her and Doc. 

Doc Holliday was a Senior. Technically he should be a Sophomore in _College_ , but he had flunked his last two years. And he was . . . _Weird_ . Between the southern drawl and the hat that he never took off. Or even the odd choice of facial hair and how he went by _Doc_ . Besides all of that, he was the sweetest guy, so she hadn’t a clue how he ended up with Wynonna. Well, _“with”_ Wynonna. 

Nicole set her bag down and pulled her latest book out. And, oh, how she _loved_ having a library at school to browse whenever she pleased. She was sure she had already checked out more here in her five days than some kids would in their whole lives. 

She lifted her head at the loud gasp after a minute or so, cocking her eyebrow at the wide-eyed, brown-haired girl staring at her, standing behind her to her right. “You ok there?” She asked slowly, eyes flicking a once over of her body, seeing how she had her books held to her chest, knuckles now white. 

The girl snapped out of it, looking up and meeting her eyes, her darker skin blushing slightly. “Sorry,” she mumbled in a whisper, eyes still wide. “I just . . . like your lion.” She uncurled one of her pointer fingers, gesturing to her hand. 

The redhead smiled, _almost_ slyly, before closing her book and swinging her right leg over the bench so she was straddling it. She pat the bench in front of her, scooting back a bit so there was enough room between her and Chrissy for her to sit. The girl quickly plopped down, eyes nervous. “Well you wanna see it, don’t you?” She asked assuringly with a small chuckle, using her pointer finger to coax her fingers away from her books, getting her to set them down. She set her hand in her’s, letting her look it over. She examined it closely with a small smile, running her thumb across her knuckles a few times. Nicole lifted her hand, turning it over and tipping her head up. “What’s your name, Beautiful?” She questioned, using her free hand to grab the bend of her knee, tugging her closer. 

She heard her swallow. “Penelope . . . But everyone calls me Poppy.” 

The redhead flashed some dimples. “Nicole . . . But you can call me what you please.” 

She chewed at the side of her bottom lip, looking back down at the lion, for she was still holding her hand. _And_ still rubbing her thumb subconsciously along it. “Nicole’s fine,” she decided. 

The older girl moved her face in, inches away from her’s. “As long as you can scream it, I’ll be ok.” She met her eyes, rolling her tongue sideways in her mouth just enough to reveal the black tongue stud, watching her eyes darken with a devilish grin. “But only if you’re so inclined.”

“N-Now?” 

“Well.” She pulled her head back, grabbing the book she had been reading and shoving it into her bag. “It _seems_ I forgot my History book in my locker.” 

It was Poppy’s turn to smirk, having caught her drift. “I _guess_ I could help you look for it,” she shrugged as she quickly gathered her own things. 

Nicole grinned, standing up and throwing a wink towards the older Earp, who gave her an ok sign with a proud nod. She looked back to the brunette next to her, smirking as they fast-walked out of the cafeteria. 

Their conversation had been quiet, so even Chrissy hadn’t heard what they had been talking about and she had been sitting _right_ there. So the cocked eyebrows and confused faces that followed them as they quickly left weren’t surprising. 

“Where are they going?” Rosita asked Waverly in a whisper, smacking her arm after seeing that she had her face in her phone, texting a certain boy-man who was sitting two tables away. 

“Who?” The other one pointed with a huff right as they disappeared around the corner. She shrugged, looking back down at her phone. “How’m I supposed to know?” 

Nicole and Poppy swung around another corner, and the junior glanced between the bathrooms and the janitor’s closet, deciding on the latter after watching a herd of girls enter the other. She let out a breath, looking up at the ceiling and seeing that the camera was facing the opposite direction, making their position a blindspot. She gave the door a hard knock, pressing her ear against it for a second, but they seemed to be in the clear. She opened it and did a quick once over before grabbing her hand and dragging her in. 

The redhead took the books in Poppy’s hand, setting them on the shelf as tossed her bag down and shrugged her jacket off. She gripped her hips and lifted her onto the workbench, looking into her eyes one last time when she stepped in between her knees, bunching her skirt up in the process. “Yea?” 

The smaller one locked on her eyes for a second, but wasted no more time, cupping each side of her neck and crashing their lips together. Nicole melted into it, sliding her hands from her waist to her ass and roughly pulling her flush against her front. 

Maybe she _had_ promised herself that she was gonna stop doing this. And maybe that promise was ringing in her ears as the girl’s hands slid down her arms to her waist, untucking her t-shirt. But maybe she had missed the feeling of being able to let herself go for a little while. And maybe the last time she had had sex with a girl, or did _anything_ with a girl for that matter, had been almost _9 months_ ago, thanks to juvie and all. So maybe the feeling of her tongue toying at the metal bar in her mouth and how the girl skillfully undid her belt and popped the button on her jeans was doing a lot more to her than it should. And maybe trailing her own fingers up the inside of her thigh as her other hand held her head as she kissed and nipped gently at her neck, never hard enough to leave a mark, came back to her easily from her many rounds of practice. But no amount of practice could warn her of the low growl she didn’t even know her _own throat_ could manage when her hand slipped under the band of her boxers. Or the beautiful swallowed moan the sophomore let out when she had nudged her underwear to the side, filling her with no warning. 

But what she _did_ know was that maybe this _was_ just as fun as she remembered.

**8:14 AM**

Waverly boosted the books in her arms as she switched hands, pulling her earbuds out and shutting her music off, knowing Mr. Phlo wrote you right up if he saw you with earbuds out in his classroom. 

But she looked up abruptly as a door in front of her swung open. 

Though she stopped, eyes bulging and mouth dropping open as Poppy rushed out, sliding her hand through her tousled hair and smoothing her black skirt down. _No. Uh-unh. There was_ no _way. Poppy wouldn’t . . . Would she?_

But as soon as it had closed again, it was back open. 

Nicole looked down as she fed the end of her belt through the clasp, zooming to get to her first hour before the tardy bell. 

She hadn’t expected a body in her path, though. 

Her hands reached out to steady them by their hips and a quick apology tumbled out of her mouth. But then she realized she was pressed against _Waverly Earp’s_ front and holding _Waverly Earp’s_ hips, so she let go, taking a step back. “Walk much?” She huffed, continuing on her way. 

“Bang my cheer friends in a _janitor’s closet_ much?” She was on her tail, face red from anger. 

“I have _no idea_ what you’re talking about,” the redhead sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets after bumping her glasses up her nose. 

“That _hickey_ tells me different.” She pointed to the edge of her collarbone. 

Nicole pulled the collar of her shirt up, rolling her eyes. “Dude, _seriously_ . My sex life, or _any_ aspect of my life for that matter, is none of your business, now if you’ll excuse me-” She bumped her with her shoulder and took a couple of long strides, jumping through the door of their World History class right as the tardy bell rang. “Mornin’, Phlo,” she grinned, shooting him a wink with some finger guns.

“Close one there, Haught,” he sighed from his desk. “Can’t say the same for you, though, Miss Earp.” 

An even redder Waverly stalked through the doorway, shooting flaming spikey daggers at Nicole, both knowing damn well the redhead had pushed her to make her late on purpose. Her first tardy. _Ever_. 

She sunk in her seat, eyes still burning into her head. Nicole turned to look at her after getting her materials out. “Whoops,” she shrugged, giving her a pouty lip. 

“ _I’m going to kill you_.” 

“That’s a threat. You better watch it. Wouldn’t want you to get a referral, too.”

She was going to say something back, but the teacher stood, clapping once to get everyone’s attention. "Alright, guys . . . Those of you that have been here a while know that right after New Year's and all, the school sets up a week or two for drug and alcohol awareness . . ." 

_Of course_.

Nicole slowly slid down her chair, her legs stretching out in front of her desk, feet resting on either side of the legs of the one in front of her. He was still talking, but she wasn't listening anymore. Sure, the reasoning was fair. Everyone parties over the break and some try some new things. But those who _do_ usually end up _keep_ trying said new things.

Her ears picked up a word he said. A very, _very_ scary word. 

_Partners_. 

"Today we’ll be talking about drug issues in Canada, and starting tomorrow, you and a partner will be given another country to research and create a slideshow about. And because I want you to take this _seriously_ , it's going in as a test grade." 

She rolled her eyes, reaching down and grabbing her book out of her bag, opening it to the page she had been on. She hated working with people, _especially_ on school work. She had always been a lone wolf and that was how she liked it. Though she was glad this was an advanced class, meaning that everyone in there put effort into their work to an extent, so she wasn't going to get stuck doing it all like she usually did. 

She multitasked signing into her school-supplied Chromebook to take notes with one hand and turning her page with the other, propping it up on her stomach against the edge of the desk. 

“Hey, Nicole?” She turned her head towards the brunette, raising her eyebrows boredly. “Ya know, I’m sure _you_ could teach us a _whole_ lot more than he could. Why don’t you go ahead?” A small smirk was on her lips as the redhead’s face fell, mouth coming open as she darted her eyes to the couple of people now staring at her. Her fingers gripped the edge of the desk as her eyes hardened on Waverly, knowing all the blood in her body was rushing to her head. 

The brunette sat back slightly, not expecting her to get that mad. But judging by the way her teeth were gritting, she was definitely _not_ fine and dandy. 

Maybe she hadn’t completely thought that one through. 

She jumped as Nicole smacked her hand down onto the top of her desk, raising a finger at her, mouth curving into a . . . _smile_ ? “You’re right. That is an _amazing_ idea, Waverly.” She stood, closing her laptop and walking towards the front of the room. “I’ll take it from here, Phlo,” she informed with a smile. 

“Nicole . . .” He started, but she raised her eyebrows at him, and seeing that she had a few inches on him, he easily gave her the floor, heading back to his seat. “Keep it appropriate.”

She took her jacket off and set it down next to her when she hopped up on the front of his desk, fixing the cuffs on her sleeves before resting her elbows on her knees, doing a once over of the room. “Hi . . . I’m Nicole Haught. I just transferred here this semester, if you haven’t noticed . . . And I finished my _5th_ Juvie sentence for drug possession and distribution the _week_ before Christmas- Well, 4th, technically. One was for something else- _Anyway_ .” She hadn’t _planned_ on robbing the gas station, but it wasn’t really her decision in the long run. 

Everyone was staring at her with wide eyes, the widest being the guy in the back she recognized from a few deals and Waverly’s, of course. “Now to answer your most _raging_ questions: No, I’ve never tried any of the hard stuff I was selling, _nor_ do I want to _or_ recommend anyone to. No, I’m not dealing anymore, so don’t ask cause I’m required to report you. No, I’ve never _stabbed_ or _shot_ or _killed_ anyone. No, I wasn’t “in a gang”, but I _obviously_ wasn’t doing it on my own. No, no one _made_ me get tattoos, I _chose_ to get tattoos- Seven of them, to be precise . . . What else?- Oh. _Yes_ , I made a lot of money, but _no_ , don’t do it because, _yes_ , I regret it . . . _Enormously_.” 

She shifted slightly, eyes landing on the brunette for a few seconds. “Why, you ask? Well, I’ve basically fu- _screwed_ up any chance of getting into college or getting a _real_ job. And living the past five years not really knowing if I’d be alive the next day while working was a waste, now knowing how nice it is to take someone’s money and hand them a burger with a smile instead of a baggie of coke and hauling some ass.” 

“ _Haught_ ,” Mr. Phlo warned. 

“ _Sorry_ ,” she grimaced before pushing herself off of the desk and slowly beginning to pace the front of the room. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that I wasn’t just dealing to the local crackheads. Obviously I was _enough_ to keep the title of _local crackheads_ swirling around when you saw them spazzing out walking down the sidewalk . . . But almost half the people I sold to were teens. 14 to 20 year old guys, girls, white kids, black kids, Hispanic kids, Asian kids, jocks, class presidents, Goths, nerds- all _normal freaking kids_ that heard the _wrong_ things from the _wrong_ people. People that _know_ teens are _stupid_ and _gullible_ . And _my_ people didn’t care that we were recognizing their faces on the News cause they had _overdosed_ from the drugs that _we_ provided them with. _I_ cared, but they didn’t. All they wanted was to make some bank so they could keep using whatever _they_ were hooked on. But all I wanted was to make sure I had enough to keep my baby brother fed and off the streets at night . . . Cause I was _9_ when he was born. And I was _10_ when my mom OD’ed, meaning I had to take care of a 6 month old _by myself_ because my dad was too busy in the other room either snorting another line or banging another hooker . . . mostly both.” Her face was starting to pink a bit from the pent up anger that the topic always brought up. “By 12, he was sending me to get his drugs for him. But what he didn’t know was that I was taking some each time, turning right back around and selling it after I gathered enough. I made enough money doing that to be able to take me and my brother out of the house, but it was only a few weeks later that I was busted for the first time.” 

She swallowed a bit, feeling the heat radiating off her face and the burn in her throat. “Living like that was hard. Spending your days around drugs leaves you needing people to lean back on, people you _know_ will _have_ your back. And the people I befriended were in the same boat as me:” She stopped pacing, locking her eyes with Waverly. “People with nobody wanting somebody with nobody to be their somebody.” The brunette’s eyes softened, knowing she was talking about Wynonna. 

"The problem with that was a lot of the people I made bonds with didn't have the same motives as me. So some of them were on drugs and some of them were doing more things they shouldn't have been. And I lost too many fricking people, whether it be to prison or murder or gangs or drugs turning them into monsters I couldn't be around anymore . . . _You_ know what _that's_ like, don't you, Waverly?" She raised her eyebrows, tipping her head at her. 

A murmur passed over the room, everyone turning her head to look at her. Wynonna's history certainly wasn't a secret to anyone. Her face tightened in anger, going as red as Nicole's hair. 

"That's enough, Nicole," the teacher grumbled, standing from his seat and walking around his desk towards her. 

"No." The redhead shook her head at him, crossing her arms. "Since she decided to bring up my past, it's only fair if I can bring up her's." 

"Oh my God," Waverly breathed out. She quickly gathered her things and got out of her seat, walking towards the door. “ _Fuck you, Nicole_ ,” she muttered, knocking her as she passed before leaving the classroom with a huff. 

The room was quiet as the door closed, everyone looking between Nicole and Mr. Phlo. He clenched his jaw at her with a glare. “Go apologize. _Now_. You both better be back in here in 5 minutes or you’re going to the office.” 

She pursed her lips with a sigh, sulking out of the room. She turned her head left in search of the direction she stormed off, stepping out of the cut for the entrance to look the other way. She wasn’t able to, though, because a hard shove to her side almost made her fall over, but she caught herself on the edge of the wall. 

“What is _wrong_ with you!?” Waverly demanded. The junior realized she must have been standing right outside the door, knowing she would be forced to come find her. Nicole shook her head with an eye roll, walking past her. “Don’t fucking walk away from me, _Asshole_ .” The brunette began to follow her. “How _dare_ you throw Wynonna under the bus like that! And in front of _everyone_?!”

She hadn’t expected her to turn around so fast. Well, she actually hadn’t expected _a lot_ of things. She hadn’t expected the look of pure anger on her face. She hadn’t expected her to be right in front of her in two large steps. But the very last thing she would have expected was for her back to be slammed _hard_ against the lockers.

She let out a wince, feeling the handle from one stab into her back as the redhead held her there with her arm across her shoulders. She immediately clapped her hands over her face, figuring that’s where her free hand’s destination was. “ _Don’t-_ I’m s- sorry,” she stammered out. She wanted to drop to her knees, but her body pressed forcefully against her was keeping her in place. 

She peeked out, though, after feeling the arm drop and her body moving away. Nicole was standing back from her now, eyes as wide as saucers. She snapped her head upward, flicking her eyes across the ceiling in search of a camera. She found one on the right side, pointing right in their direction. “ _Fuck_.” 

“Wha-” 

Nicole looked back towards her, eyes still wide. “I can’t get into a fight.” She took a step towards her, right back into her bubble.

Waverly’s eyes widened, feeling her pulling her hands onto her hips. “What the _fuck_ are you-” 

She pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her. “If they see that and think I’m tryna fight you, I’m going back to juvie. It’s against my parole.” She moved her hand from her lips to her waist, slipping her right under her shirt a bit, her warm hand sending a chill up her spine. 

“ _Nicole_ -”

“I swear to God, _shut up_ . I swear I’m not gonna do anything to you.” Her words definitely did _not_ match the lustful smirk she had plastered on her face. “Just _go_ with it.”

“What do you want me to do?!” She questioned, trying to make her own expression not as freaked out. 

“You could try not acting like you’re scared of me-”

“I _am_ scared of you! You’re reasoning for _not_ socking me across the face is that you’re worried about going back to jail!” 

“Don’t you think I have a fair reason to want to beat your ass?” 

The brunette rolled her eyes, jerking her closer so their hips were touching. “You deserved that, _100%_.” 

“Just because _you’re_ mad I fucked your friend does _not_ mean you get to call me out like that.” 

“And just because _you’re_ mad doesn’t mean you can call _me_ out,” she defended. Nicole slid her hand farther up her shirt with a warning raise of her brow, pushing her thumb into the space in between her ribs. “ _Ow_ , fuck, ok- I’m sorry.” 

She continued to add pressure. “No you’re not.” 

“I am! It was out of line!”

“And now you’re gonna leave me alone?” 

She tugged at her arm. “ _Yes,_ I’ll leave you alone. Now _stop_ , that hurts, you _bitch_.” 

Nicole smirked, pulling her hand out and leaning closer towards her face, rolling her lip down with her thumb, staring down at it for a second before flicking her eyes back up. “ _You better_.” She pushed herself off of her, walking back towards the classroom.

The brunette glared at her back before taking a few quick steps, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards her. She pushed her back, watching her eyes widen as she took her turn doing the pinning. She gripped her fingers under her chin, tipping her head down to look at her. “Let me see you touch me again. I swear to God, I’ll have Champ and Wynonna on your ass in two seconds flat.” She slipped her free hand down in between them, untucking and slipping her hand under _her_ shirt, pushing her thumb _hard_ into the space between her abs and smiling an evil grin when she saw a hint of fear flash through her eyes as she shifted uncomfortably. 

But it was gone as fast as it had arrived. 

“Go ahead and tell ‘em now,” the redhead challenged. “How’s Wy gonna feel once she hears what you did to me _first_ ?” Waverly’s grip on her face loosened slightly, hand giving up pressure, just staying splayed across her stomach. “And Mr. Nine Seconds? Tell ‘em to meet me in _my_ neck of the woods. I’ll have some friends come out to play.” 

Her eyes widened and Nicole nudged her hips forward with an undefeated smirk. She stepped back from her with a disgusted huff and the junior continued towards the door. “It’s _eight_ seconds!” Waverly corrected, bending down to grab her things. 

The redhead leaned back to look at her, holding onto the door handle. “ _Not_ the sport I was talking about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waverly’s such a brat...but phew, try and look at lockers the same! 
> 
> Little Bugman is here once again to steal your hearts, but at this point you’re just gonna have to get used to it. Also, if anyone was wondering or guessing that he may, Nash does have OCD; which is why he does the endearing little things like fill every. Single. Waffle. Hole.


	4. If We Don't Have Each Other, We Don't Have Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynaught finally gets a chance to hang out  
> But maybe it opens a few more wounds than they thought it would
> 
> And if you call Nicole and Wynonna anything other than Wynaught (AKA WyHaught) You are REALLY missing out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queeeeef:  
> Hey, y'all! This is a really good chapter and gives you guys some really important backstory for our leading trio. I do have to say, the reason the time breaks are times and dates is important, so right about now is when you should be starting to pay attention to them, or you'll be in for a heap of confusion.  
> Fun fact: This was going to be attached to ch 3 to make a 13K word ch, but we decided to break it up for the sole purpose of getting to make you guys wait to find out more.  
> We're evil, I know  
> Enjoy! :D  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> SOLACEEEEEEEEEEEE:  
> Happy update day! I hope you hate us for this chapter! Feel free to tell us how much you do in the comments :)  
> I'd say enjoy yourselves, but  
> I don't think you will ;)

**January 10th, 2019 7:39 PM**

Nicole scrolled through her Instagram, trying to tone out the blasting music of the cheerleader’s halftime show. The Blue Devils had a 25 point lead and the other team’s best player had just gotten himself fouled out right before the half, so she and Wynonna were planning on heading out once the cheerleaders came back over. 

“Coley?” Nash poked her tapping foot that was up on the bench from his position beside her. 

“What?” she questioned, looking up at him. 

“Can I getta drink?” 

She pulled her wallet out of her pocket, handing him a dollar. “Go.” She looked back down at her phone, but up a few seconds later, seeing that he was still sitting there. “What’re you waiting for?” He mumbled something, but the music was too loud for her to hear it. She sat up from leaning against the wall, scooting closer to him. “What, Bug?” 

“Can you come with me?” He mumbled with a begging face. She sighed, pushing herself up and placing her hand on his back as they walked down the row and down the stairs, over to the concession stand. 

“What can I getcha?” The woman behind the counter asked, looking down at Nash with a smile. 

Nicole pushed her hand through his hair when he looked up at her nervously. “Tell her what you want,” she coaxed. He furrowed his brow at her with a small whine, pushing the bill into her hand and moving behind her a little. She pursed her lips at him, looking up at the woman with a sigh of defeat. “Can I just get an orange soda?” She handed her the dollar and she stuck it in the register, turning and grabbing her a can. “Thank you.” She wiggled him off her arm before taking it, walking back towards the gym. “ _Brat_.” She pushed it against his cheek, and he swatted at her as he grabbed it, wiping the cold condensation off of his cheek with his sleeve. 

They sat down right as the cheerleaders came back, and she looked up at Wynonna, seeing her walking over to her sister and Chrissy. “Hey.” She nudged Nash’s knee with her foot. He looked up at her. “C’mere.” He scooted a few times until he was right in front of her. “Nonna and I are gonna go outside. You’re gonna hang out with Waverly and Chrissy until the games over, ok?” She pointed towards them, and Chrissy saw it out of the corner of her eye, giving him a wave. “Can you handle that?” 

“Can I come with you?” He questioned softly. 

“No . . . You wanted to watch the game, remember?”

“Yea, with _you_.” 

“Hey.” She rubbed his hand with her thumb. “You’ll be fine, Bug. I’ll be right outside and they’ll bring you out when the games over.” 

“Why can’t I come with you?” He whined. 

“Cause . . . You’re gonna be fine in here, hanging out with those two.” 

He was quiet and she gave him a begging smile. “. . . D’you got things to do, people to see?” 

Her eyes widened and she quickly shook her head, leaning in closer to his face. “I’m not doing that anymore. I promised you that . . . We just haven’t seen each other in a while and haven’t had a chance to catch up yet.” 

His brows stayed furrowed. “I don’t wanna be alone, Coley.” 

Her heart sank, seeing his eyes well up with tears. She grabbed the soda out of his hand and set it down, pulling him into a hug. “You’re not gonna be alone, Baby. It’ll only be 30 minutes. I _promise_ , we’re just gonna be outside.” She pulled back after a few seconds, cupping his cheeks and wiping the couple of tears that had escaped. “Can you do this for me? Please?” He sniffled a bit, but gave her a nod. “Yea?” 

“Yea.”

She smiled, pushing a kiss into his head. “Thank you.” She looked over, seeing the trio climbing the bleachers towards them. 

“Little Man’s a lucky one!” Wynonna smirked. “Hanging with all these hot cheerleaders?” Nicole let out a snort, watching him scrunch his face at her as it went red. 

“Hi, Nash!” Chrissy smiled with bright eyes. 

He gave her a small smile, but Nicole bumped him, throwing him a look. “Hi,” he mumbled.

The older one smiled, standing as she pushed a final kiss to his head. “Behave yourself.”

“I _will_.” 

She gave him a wink as she descended the stairs, mouthing a thank you to the two cheerleaders. 

The blonde leaned against the wall beside him, looking towards the shorter girl. “Oh my God, he’s so cute,” she whispered. Waverly rolled her eyes at her, shaking her head at Nash. 

Wynonna and Nicole made their way across the parking lot to the brunette’s truck. She opened the tailgate and hopped up in the bed, Nicole following after. She stretched out the blanket that she had sitting back there and they both sat down on it, saving their butts from the cold metal. “See? How easy was that?” Wynonna asked with a grin. 

“I made him _cry_. So no, not that easy.” She turned her body, leaning back against the side and stretching her legs out beside the other girl’s. 

Wynonna pouted her lip at her. “Here.” She reached into her pocket, pulling a box out. “Take some of the edge off.” 

Nicole caught it when she tossed it at her and she looked up at her with a glare. “Earp . . .” 

“I didn’t say you _had_ to. Just an offer.” 

She racked it over before giving in and pulling a cigarette out, tossing the box back to her. Wynonna smirked, pulling one out for herself and lighting it up, passing the lighter to her. She lit it and took a _long_ draw, blowing a large cloud of smoke toward the sky. She closed her eyes at the familiar burn that left with it. “I gave these up, ya know.” 

“You’ve given a lot up in the past year.” She lifted her leg and dropped it in between her’s, nudging the right one a little. “Take a day to live a little.” 

She raised her head to look at her. “I _lived a little_ this morning,” she defended, only a hint of a smirk peeking through. 

Wynonna let out a snort. “How _was_ that?” 

She let out a little chuckle, taking a pull. “It was good,” she admitted with a wiggle of her eyebrows. 

Wynonna laughed, shooting some smoke out her nose. “How’d Poppy-Poo like your secret weapon?” 

“Poppy-Poo ain’t _got_ my secret weapon yet,” she grinned, rolling her tongue around, hooking the black ball on her front tooth. 

“ _Yet_?! Damn Haughty, you’ve got her coming back for seconds?” 

Nicole smirked, blowing a couple of rings. “Judging by those eyes she’s been giving me all night, I’d say so.” 

Wynonna raised her brows suggestively. “Wear ‘em _all_ tomorrow and see what she does.” 

Nicole let out a chuckle, “Will they make me take em out?” 

“Nah.” Nicole nodded, deciding she was going to have a little fun. “. . . I guess that means Waves hasn’t barked at her yet then, if she’s still been looking at you,” the brunette sighed, flicking off some of her ashes as she looked at her with a raise of her eyebrows.

She blew her lungful out evenly, mirroring her face. “She told ya, huh?” Wynonna nodded slowly. “. . . Are you mad?” 

She clicked her tongue, tipping her head a bit. “Not really . . . Only cause I know you’d have to be a nutcase to pull some shit like that again . . . _And_ she had it coming.” 

Nicole looked down at the glowing bud at the end of her cigarette, a hint of remorse ghosting her face. “I didn’t mean to put you on blast like that, though, Earp. I’m sorry for that.” 

“Eh, makes no difference to me. Nothing that hasn’t been said already.” She chuckled through a breath. “And besides, I told you, you’d be a nutcase to do that shit again. Cause you _know_ I’ll kick your ass so hard, you’ll taste my boot.” The pair made eye contact once more, and a look of understanding was shared between them. 

“But, uh. When she told you about it . . . How much . . . did she-”

“All of it, McFeely. All of it.” Her tone wasn’t exactly jokingly like her normal smug humor was so she figured that might have been the part she was slightly pissed about.

She looked up at her with slightly widened eyes, the full moon illuminating the pink forming on her cheeks. “Dude, I had to. There was a fucking camera right above my head an-”

“Just _don’t_ grope my baby sister, ok? That’s _all_ I ask. She gets enough of that with that Chump Truck.” 

Nicole gagged, “ _Trust me_ , I don’t plan on it. It’s just . . . you _know_ I had to. If I got sent back . . . t-then Nash- He would’ve had to go back to that piece of _cra_ -“ 

“ _Hey_ .” Wynonna flung the lighter at the wheel well to get the rambling one’s attention. When her brown eyes met blue ones, she stopped. Tears were forming in both their eyes, but neither _dared_ to spill a drop. “I _know_ . I _know_ how it makes you feel when you leave him behind. I _know_ how it fills your heart with every single _fucking_ ounce of guilt there is. Because _you_ showed me.” Her voice broke and she tossed the butt of her cigarette away with a hard swallow. “ _You_ made me care about _her_ like I should.”

“Don’t say that, Wy . . .-”

“ _Don’t_ fucking start that shit, Nicole . . . You know damn well you saved my life. I put myself in rehab because of _you_ . _You_ put me back together enough to drill some sense into my head, and without it, I-” A tear finally rolled down her cheek as she dug her fingers into the redhead’s ankle, shaking her head around to try and keep herself together. But it was useless. “I wouldn’t be here right now.” 

Nicole was biting the sides of her cheeks hard enough that copper hit her tongue. She let out a huff and dropped her head as the tears started to roll. She looked up at her, ripping her glasses off her face and shoving her fists into her eyes to try and make it stop. But she was far past a point of control. She watched the brunette drop her face to her hands, pulling her legs in as a couple of sobs left her mouth. “Come here, you _Asshole_ ,” Nicole choked out, shoving her glasses back on as Wynonna crawled over, right into her open arms. 

The redhead couldn’t help but remember the night Wynonna was talking about. 

**June 1, 2018 12:40 AM**

The sounds of distant sirens and cars driving through puddles echoed off the grimy alley walls. It was late. Nicole knew this. It was the last deal of the night and she needed it to be over soon. 

Pacing lightly, she huffed out, contemplating just leaving and telling the buyer to screw off. Hell, _one_ had already failed to show up tonight. But no. Bobo would have her head. Or _worse_. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she looked around once more. Luckily, a shadowy figure approached her spastically, checking over his shoulder every five steps. In the dim light coming from the street lamp at the opposite end of the alley, Nicole could just barely make out the face. 

The kid was scrawny. His pale face was clammy and jaunt. His brown eyes were weighed down by the dark, heavy bags that clung to his lower lids. His pointy, slightly upturned nose was red and sniffled every few seconds, but Nicole knew it wasn’t because the kid was sick. A twitch permanently afflicted his top lip, jerking involuntarily every few seconds. 

Shifting anxiously, the boy took his hand out of a pocket in his stained hoodie. In his dry palm was a wad of bills, mostly crumpled, but somewhat rolled up at best. 

Their interaction was silent, for it wasn’t the first time they’d met. Nicole removed the bag from her own pocket and clapped it against the boy’s outstretched hand holding the money. She pretended to dap him up and bring him into a hug, just to sell a look of a totally legal interaction. 

Just when her other hand tapped the middle of the boney boy’s back, her _phone_ phone buzzed in her pocket. 

She pulled back from him and slipped the money into her hand, thumbing through it for a few seconds before shoving it in her pocket and giving him a nod. He continued on down the alley and she pulled her phone out, checking to see who in God’s name was calling her at this time of night. 

No.

There was no way. 

She pushed it to her ear, grabbing her skateboard off the wall and fast-walking in the opposite direction of the boy. “Hello?” She answered, still not believing her contact ID. 

“HAUGHT POCKET, GUESS WHO?!” 

“ _Earp_?!” She practically squeaked out, jogging a bit when she got to the sidewalk before laying her board down and hopping on it, heading in the direction of The House.

“YOU FUCKING KNOW IT!” 

She sputtered a few sounds, jumping a curb. “WHEN?” 

“LIKE, 4 HOURS AGO! I JUST GOT MY SHIT BACK! . . . Dude, where the fuck are you? We need to meet up.” 

“I’m . . . _out_. Where’re you at?” 

“I’m at a friend’s by the Station in your hood. You close? I can come get you if you need me to.” 

“I’m close, yea.” She picked up the pace a bit. “They good people?” 

“As far as I know, yea.” 

“Alright. I’m gonna check on Nash first. Shoot me the address.”

“I will.” 

Nicole pulled her phone away from her ear, ending the call as she climbed the porch steps of the old, 2-story house. The leader of their pack, Bobo, owned it. They wouldn’t call themselves a “gang” because they were allowed to come and go as they pleased, but they still “worked” for him. And as long as they brought in their share for the week, they were allowed to crash in a number of different houses around the city. This one, though, was specifically for _her_ group. The teens that barely used, if at all. The ones just trying to get by. They were the ones at the bottom of the food chain, and Bobo knew this, so he gave them a certain level of protection from the rest of the dealers. 

She knocked the code, and it opened a few seconds later, Fish giving her a kind smile as he let her in. “Nash asleep?” She questioned quietly, walking over to her Mailbox and shoving the money from the night in it. It wasn’t necessarily a mailbox per se, but that’s what they called it. It was a locked metal box with a slit that they put their money in. There was one for each person and it was monitored with a camera by the big man, making sure no one was trying to pull some shit. 

“Last Eliza checked, he was.” 

She nodded with a smile as a thank you, climbing the steps quietly and walking to their room at the end of the hall. She cracked the door open, seeing her brother fast asleep. She walked over and sat next to him, pushing her hand through his hair. 

His eyes opened slightly and he looked up at her with a small whine as he stretched his legs out. She climbed over him and laid down, pulling him into her arms with a sigh. “What’s wrong?” He whispered, eyes darting around her face a bit, for he didn’t have his glasses on. 

“Nothin’, Bug. I’m just going back out.” 

“Why?” 

“Nonna’s back,” she smiled. 

“She is?” 

The older one nodded. “She got out today.” He let out a grunt of approval as he rolled back over. She chuckled lightly, standing up and leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Love you.” 

“Love you, too,” he mumbled, obviously already half asleep. With another small smile, she walked back out of the room and headed for the front door. 

Looking back, she saw Fish and Eliza on the ratty old couch in the makeshift “living room” they set up. They were playing cards but looked up to meet her dimly lit face. She gave them a nod to which they returned, something they did whenever someone left the house. It was an unspoken rule that if something were to happen, and they didn’t return back home without a heads up, the others were to take care of their personal effects. For Nicole, the others were to take Nash somewhere safe and do whatever they had to do to make sure he didn’t go back to their father. After a few moments, the redhead swung open the door and rendered the brisk night air.

She met up at the location Wynonna sent her, and ended up outside of _what looked like_ a ransacked, abandoned factory building. Or, what was left of a factory building. _House, my ass._ Peering through one of the blown out windows covered by construction-grade plastic covers, Nicole saw faint shadows moving across the rooms above. This building may have been abandoned by production, but certainly not by people themselves. 

After sending her a quick text, Wynonna appeared a few moments later at the splintering and rotting wooden front door. She looked disheveled, which was understandable considering her events of the day. With a smug smirk, the brunette pulled the redhead into a hug. 

“Hey,” Nicole spoke in the embrace. 

Pulling back but keeping her arms outreached to remain on both of her shoulders, Wynonna nodded and lightly chuckled, “Hey.” She gave a slap to one of them and guided the taller girl into the condemnable building. 

After some walking through the shell of a first floor, they reached an old set of stairs until they met the cold, dirty second floor where the action was happening. There were about ten people in total as far as she could tell. Some in pairs of twos and threes, some solo in their own corners. She followed the shorter woman to her corner “room” as she referred to it as. Really it was a blanket that God only knows when it was last washed, and the bin of stuff she got when she was released earlier that day. 

“I know it’s not a Marriott or nothin’ but, here she is.” Wynonna gestured to the space in front of her. Nicole laughed and joined her friend sitting on the blanket. 

They caught up for a while, laughing and sighing, hearing about each other’s time away from each other. They were mid laugh when Nicole’s phone buzzed in her pocket again. Slightly confused, she pulled it out of her pocket and saw the caller ID. It was Fish. Fear wrapped her body as she practically smashed the answer button and flung the phone to her ear. She looked to the other girl next to her and mouthed a ‘one second’ as she got up and walked away to give herself some privacy. It was one thing if Wynonna heard, but she wasn’t so keen on letting all the other ears in the room know her business. You never know when a Narc is close until it’s too late. 

“Fish, what’s wrong? Is Nash okay?” 

His voice was calm as he let out a breathy chuckle. “Yeah, Red, calm down. I just called to tell you that he had a night terror, but Liza took care of it. He’s sleeping again, but I figured I’d give you a heads up.” 

She let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't help but let her mind go to the worst; not with this job. “Alright. Thanks, Fish. I’ll be home soon.” They said their goodbyes and the redhead made her way towards the brunette once more. However, before she got there, she felt her stomach drop and what felt like a swift jab to the chest. She looked on with horror and rage as she saw what her friend was doing. 

Still in the corner where she sat, Wynonna was unaware she was anything but alone anymore. When Nicole has walked away, she had decided it was the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted with her _other_ best friend. Reaching under the far corner of the blanket, she pulled out a syringe. She already had her sleeve rolled up to show the zone she had used so many times before. She had the scars and marks to prove it. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pinch. That wasn’t the pain she received, though. Her hand was the one who felt the shock and then the throbbing, but more importantly, it no longer felt the mass of the needle. Her eyes shot open to see a fuming redhead, a face a deep enough red to match her roots. 

Nicole had been watching the entire time, her body in shock at first before she could react. But her fight or flight kicked in soon after, and just in time to run the rest of the distance ahead, and swiftly punt the needle out of Wynonna’s hands. She sent the syringe soaring through the air until it met the hard concrete of the wall, shattering immediately. 

The most guttural and enraged scream left Wynonna’s mouth as she pushed herself to her feet to meet the redhead. But she still had nothing on the red giant’s height. 

“What the ACTUAL _fuck_ is _wrong_ with you, Haught?! I used the last of the money I had on that!” 

Nicole snarled and pushed her friend against the wall. “No, no, no. What the ACTUAL _fuck_ is wrong with _you_ , huh?!” She let go and huffed hard, turning away so her tears weren’t seen. It was no use, though. The brunette had always been super observant and had caught the sniffle. “You _just_ went away for that shit. You’re not even home for 24 hours and you’re already doing it again? What the _fuck,_ man? _Everything else_ I could stand. I could get. But _this_ shit? You have a _FAMILY_ , Wynonna! How the _fuck_ could you do _THAT?!”_

“WHAT _FAMILY_ , NICOLE?! HUH? THE ONE THAT SHUT ME OUT!? ABANDONED ME!?” 

The fire in her brown eyes only increased tenfold. “ _HER_ .” Nicole pointed to the bin of belongings where she knew a small, folded picture of Wynonna’s baby sister rested. “I know you don’t give a flying fuck about anyone else. But _her_ ? How could you do that to your _b_ _aby_ _sister_ , Wy?” She didn’t care now, the tears fell freely. She was in good company, though, for Wynonna’s own tears were falling just as so. “Believe it or not, she _needs_ you. She _needs_ you around to _help_ , _guide_ , and _protect_ her. But not like this. You can’t possibly do that _shooting up_ in some _dirty ass_ building. And you certainly can’t do that _dead_.”

“I’m sorry, since when do _you_ have room to talk!?” 

“Uh, since I’m not shooting _poison_ into my body, that’s when!” 

Wynonna shook her head, taking a few steps towards her. “You still _fucking deal_ , Haught! It doesn’t make you any less of a bad person just cause you're not using! You’re still out there, betting with death every night! And _your_ baby brother? You are _all_ he has. _My_ sister _has_ peo-” 

Nicole shoved her back. Hard. Her back hit the concrete wall and her face tensed up in pain. The taller girl stalked towards her, holding her against it. “Don’t you bring him into this,” she growled. 

Wynonna shoved her off. “Why can’t I?! You know it’s true!” 

The redhead’s face twisted with anger as the boiling hot tears continued to roll. She was right. She did know it was true. But she was too stubborn to admit it. “You have everything, Wynonna! _Everything_ ! You have p- people who _love_ you, a _house-_ But you’re throwing it all away cause you are too _fucking_ full of yourself to realize that everyone was right. You _do_ need help. And, Hell, I probably need help, too. But how the _fuck_ am I gonna get it if I don’t even have a place to _live_ without _doing my_ job!? . . . So, no, Earp. It’s not the same. Because you’re doing this to _yourself_ . Always have been. But I’m doing it because I _have_ to.”

Wynonna stood there for a few seconds, the only sign of movement being her staggered breathing. She sputtered a few sounds before pushing her hands through her hair. “What d’you want me to do, Haught?! Go back there and ask them to _fix me_?!” 

“NO!” She stormed towards her. “You need to go _home_ . Get yourself into _rehab_ . Get _clean_ . And if you can’t toughen up and do it for _yourself-_ ” She bent down and dug through her stuff, quickly unfolding the picture of her sister and shoving it against her chest. “At _least_ do it for _her_!” 

“ _HEY_ !” They both snapped towards the booming voice. “Take it _outside_ ! Some of us are trying to _sleep_!” 

Nicole looked towards the brunette with wide eyes, but she simply grabbed her arm and dragged her past him. “Sorry, Max,” she mumbled. 

The two made their way out of the building, opting to take a walk to try and cool off a little. Wynonna shoved her hands in her pockets, blowing a raspberry. “. . . I’m sorry.” 

Nicole gave her a shrug, flicking the hood of her hoodie up as they approached the police station. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.” 

“Yes, you should have.” The redhead furrowed her brows at her. “You’re right . . . You’re _always_ right.” 

“Wy . . .-” 

“She needs me.” Wynonna booted a rock. “She’s _always_ needed me . . . And I’ve _fucking_ abandoned her . . . The least I owe her is to buck up a little and _try_.” 

Nicole stopped, turning towards her with wide eyes. “You- You’re gonna?” She asked breathlessly in disbelief. 

Wynonna swallowed, eyes getting misty again. “I haven’t used since I’ve been out, so it’ll be the easiest to now . . . It’s not worth it anymore. I mean-” She pushed her hands through her hair with a loud huff. “Fuck, man.” A tear spilled out. “I went and saw my _dealer_ before even _letting them know_ I’m out of fucking juvie.” 

Nicole grabbed her arms, pulling her into a tight hug and pushing her hand to the back of her head. “It’s ok.” She closed her eyes as the girl cried into her shoulder. “You’ve got the rest of your life to make it up to her.” She pulled away, cupping her face. “Ok?” 

Wynonna nodded with a sniffle, “Yea.” 

Nicole smiled, turning and bumping her arm as they walked. “You can’t forget about me now.” 

“How could I forget your bitch ass?” She asked with a laugh, but it slowly faded. “. . . Come with me.” 

She stopped again, looking towards her incredulously. “What?” 

“ _Come with me_ . Y- you and Nash can stay with me at the Homestead and my aunt and uncle can help us both get back on our feet. You c-can get a real job while I’m in rehab and _all_ of this will be over, Nic.” 

Nicole was about to answer, but both of their heads turned as red and blue flashed about 40 feet behind them, a cruiser slowly inching along. The brunette shoved her hands in all of her pockets. “I’m clean, Fool!” 

Nicole shook her head with a laugh, sticking her hands in her own. “Me, to-” Her heart stopped. 

Wynonna widened her eyes at her. “Haught . . .” 

She lifted the baggie out slightly, looking up at her with bulging eyes. “ _Fuck_ , someone bailed on me tonight.” When she had gone to The House, she had totally forgotten to take it out.

“Gimme it,” the brunette blurted. 

“What?!” 

“I said _gimme it_!” Nicole continued to stare at her. “Haught!” 

“I- No, I can’t. Nash. He’s at The House. If I don’t get away, tell them what happened and take him to Purgatory with you. _Don’t let_ CPS take him back there again.”

“Nic.” Her voice broke as she turned her head, seeing the officer getting out of the car and walking towards them, shining a flashlight at their faces. 

“ _Wynonna_ , promise me!” 

She swallowed, quickly nodding her head. “I promise, Haught.” 

A tear rolled down Nicole’s cheek, heart thumping hard against her ribs. “Tell him I’m sorry, Wy.” She started moving, turning her head back towards the officer and seeing Wynonna covering her mouth, most likely to conceal a sob. 

“Don’t do it, Kid!” The officer shouted, but it wasn’t going to change anything. She was already running. She heard his feet immediately pedaling behind her, his voice shouting codes into his radio. She jumped a metal fence, rolling once when she landed, hoping that would slow him down a bit. 

She knew these streets like the back of her hand, so easy routes to trip up feds came back to her easily. She was sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her, jumping the fence on the other side and cutting a right in the direction of the alleys where she had been working earlier. The officer was still behind her, but judging by the volume of his yelling voice, he wasn’t as close as he had been previously. Bounding up the sidewalk, she knocked a trash can over in his path before turning down an alley, hoping she could try and lose him. She heard more sirens coming her way, though. She looked behind her when she neared the end, seeing he wasn’t even halfway up. She swung a right after knocking over a few more trash cans, pulling the coke out of her pocket and dropping it there before cutting across the street to get to the alleys on the other side, taking into account the cop car speeding up that road. 

“ _Shit_ ,” she breathed out, almost tripping over some boxes at the opening. She gave it her all down the length, turning to see no cops in sight. She went left at the end, swinging back down the one beside it and jumping behind a wall that shielded her on both sides. She covered her mouth to try and lessen the sounds of her heaving breaths, pressing herself flat against the wall and using the shadows to her advantage. 

There were cop cars everywhere now, the police shouting to one another to try and figure out her location. She held her breath as two sets of feet ran past, flashlights _just_ missing her. 

She thought she was in the clear. She really did. But she made the mistake of closing her eyes for just _one_ second, and because of that, she missed the pair of shoes come to a silent stop in front of her. The light was flashed at her face and her eyes snapped open right as a police issued glock was cocked, pointing right at her head.

“Hands up,” the officer ordered. She looked up at him defeated as she slowly raised her arms. It was worth a shot. 

The officer in front of her stood steady in his position until another man in uniform came up next to him, gun also drawn. She looked the man up and down and came to a pause when she saw the name tag. _Moody_. 

Looking at his permanently scowling face that she had run into before, she almost chuckled. Of course It’d be him. “What’re you running from there, Haught?” he questioned.

“Ya know, flatfoots with emotions for names.” 

He let out an unamused laugh, grabbing her arm and jerking her from her hiding spot, shoving her flat against the wall and cuffing her hands behind her back. “Cute.” 

“You gonna search me first, there, Handsy? _Pretty_ sure I’m clean.” 

“We don’t _need_ to search you to arrest you for evading a police officer. But if you _really_ want us to find something, we’ll run your hoodie for residue when we get back to the station . . . How’s that sound?” He smiled, although there wasn’t a hint of sincerity coming through his abnormally white teeth. 

She turned her head the other way after hearing footsteps. Her eyes widened slightly, seeing the man that had initially started the chase. “ _Or_ you could run her prints on this bad boy.” His gloved hand held up the baggie she had _apparently_ _not_ sneakily dropped. She knew she should’ve worn those fucking gloves. 

Playtime was over. As soon as she was turned around, a bit too forcefully in her opinion, and read her rights, she held her tongue for good. She’d been through this routine before and knew the drill.

In the back of one of the cruisers, all she could do was watch the city draped in the darkness with tired eyes and think about her baby brother. She sighed and dropped her head against the window as a silent tear rolled down her cheek, hoping Wynonna would get to him before CPS did. 

**June 10th, 2018 11:39 AM**

Nicole tied the sleeves of her orange jumpsuit around her waist, shaking her arms out as she walked over to the pull-up bar, jumping and getting a grip on it before beginning to rock out some reps. She had nothing better to do, after all. If she wasn’t in therapy or any type of the required shit, she was reading. And if she wasn’t reading, she was working out. That’s how she always rolled when she was locked up. It kept her sane. 

A trickle of sweat ran down the bridge of her nose when she dropped down after a few minutes. She wiped her face with the inside collar of her white tank, walking over towards the hook holding the jump ropes. 

“Haught!” A voice shouted. She turned her head towards the door of the gym, seeing one of the officers scanning her eyes across the room before landing on her face. “Come here.” 

She walked over with raised brows. “I _told_ y’all already, Becca pushed _me_. I didn’t touch her. She’s just jelly I got the last Pop Tart.” 

The woman cocked an eyebrow at her. “Wh- No . . . You have a visitor. Let’s go.” 

Her eyes widened and she quickly fixed her uniform, slipping it back over her torso. They walked down one long corridor after another before she finally pushed a door open, letting her in. “All conversations are monitored and you have 15 minutes, yada, yada, you know the drill.” 

“Yep, thanks, Debbie.” She practically ran over to the booth, yanking the phone off the hook before even looking up. Her heart sank to her feet, face going pale at the blotchy faced Wynonna sitting on the other side of the glass. 

_No_.

“Wy . . .” She breathed out, eyes as wide as saucers. “W- What?” 

She already knew _what_. She could see it in her eyes. 

The brunette pulled her lips into her mouth, looking down and shaking her head as she pushed her hand against the barrier between them. “Haught, I tried.” She finally looked up, tears falling rapid fire. “I fucking tried, b-but-” 

“Earp, _what happened_?!” 

“Everything was _fine_ . We’ve been at the Homestead. It was just me, him, Gus, and Curtis cause my sister’s at some type of smarty pants camp or something for half the summer. B-but he wanted a slushie earlier and he gave me those fucking eyes that I can’t say no to, so I took him up to the gas station. And-” She covered her mouth, shaking her head. “I turned to put a lid on it, and all of a sudden he was screaming. A CPS dude had been in there and h- he grabbed him cause I guess he’s been reported missing or something . . . I tried to explain it to him b- but . . . Nicole, they were gonna charge me with _kidnapping_ if I didn’t give him up. A- And they said they will if I try and go get him.” 

The redhead pulled her glasses off and tossed them onto the counter, dropping her forehead to her hand. “ _Fuck_.” 

“I- I’m so sorry-”

She looked up, shaking her head. “No. It’s not your fault.” 

“It is! I shouldn’t have taken him anywhere.” 

“Hey.” She pushed her glasses back onto her face with a sniffle. “Look at me right now.” She pressed her hand against the glass, and Wynonna matched her’s up with it. “You talk to Gus; they won’t suspect her. Tell that _angel_ of a woman she needs to keep an eye on him. When school starts, I want her out there waiting. Making sure he’s getting sent _every_ day. Making sure he’s not beaten to a pulp when he shows up. Making sure he’s not starving. Do you understand me?” Wynonna nodded with force. “They can’t know she’s there. He can. But they can’t.”

“I _know_ , Haught.” 

“Ok. Get him a burner with all your numbers on it. He needs to know he’s not alone. He’s had one before so he knows the drill. Give it to him through his window.” 

Nicole ran through a couple more things with her and she made sure to write it all down so she didn’t forget anything. 

“1 minute, Nicole,” the officer said from the doorway.

She gave her a nod before looking back towards the brunette. “You stay out of trouble, okay?” 

“I will . . . I’m due for my first day of rehab this weekend . . . I’ll be stuck in there for 90 days.” 

The younger one nodded with a smile, pushing her hand back against the glass, tapping her tattooed pinky against her’s a few times. “Tell him I love ‘em, would ya?” 

“I tell him _every day_.” The two girls smiled at one another with teary eyes and said their goodbyes. 

“I love you, Haught Stuff,” Wynonna sniffled. “Don’t be stupid.” 

“Love you, too . . . I’ll try my best.” The redhead stood and Wynonna gave her a nod as a promise to keep him safe. A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned out the door, and the Officer gave her shoulder a squeeze, the best form of apology her job allowed her to give.

**January 10th, 2019 7:52 PM**

Wynonna lifted her head from Nicole’s chest with a loud, nasty sniff, using her shirt as a tissue to wipe her face off. “ _Dude_ ,” the redhead grimaced with a little laugh. 

“It’s your fault. I always become a _little bitch_ when I’m with you.”

“ _Just_ when you’re with me or . . .” 

She sat up off of her completely with a shove. “Fuck off,” she snorted, moving back to her position on the other side of the truck bed. She wiped her eyes one last time, looking up at the stars for a few seconds. “. . . Why didn’t you tell me you got out?” She asked finally, keeping her eyes on the sky. 

Nicole blew out a raspberry, reaching over and grabbing another cigarette. “I wanted to get a jump on _normal_ living . . . And I knew I’d see you here, anyway.” 

“I coulda helped you out a little. Got you on your feet.” She looked down and met her eyes, grabbing a cigarette for herself after seeing her blow some smoke out. 

Nicole gave her a little shrug. “I kinda wanted to prove to myself that _I_ could do it, ya know? I always told you I had no other way . . . But I know I did. I always did. But I chose the easier way.” 

“Still . . .” Wynonna mumbled. 

Nicole was quiet for a minute. “It’s not like you came to see me . . . Figured you didn’t care anymore after you set yourself straight.” 

“. . . Well, I thought the same thing. After I lost Nash-“ 

“You did _everything_ you could and you know that.” 

She shot her a sideways look. “-I figured you wouldn’t want to see me. Like I fucked everything up and it would be a constant reminder of that.” 

Nicole sighed half amused, “Yeah, well, let’s agree to actually _ask_ the other person how they’re doing rather than just assuming we know it already, ‘kay? Cause life gets lonely when all you get from the outside world is a letter from your kid brother once or twice a month, telling you how _mean Daddy is_ over and over.” 

“ _Jeez_ , d’you take a class in _guilt-tripping_ while you were locked up, or is it just natural talent?” The brunette sported her classic arched brow and shit-eating smirk. 

The time seemed to get away from the two as they vibed together like old times. They were only brought back to reality when they heard a familiar hurt voice call out into the parking lot. 

“ _Coley_!” 

The taller one’s head snapped lightning-fast towards the direction it from. “Nash?” She really tried to mask her fear as she spoke but what with all her emotions still running pretty high from her crying session with Wynonna, it was pretty detectable. 

The little redhead was running towards his sister with tears streaming down his face, tailed by two out of breath cheerleaders. They clearly were _not_ expecting the little one to be that fast. 

Nicole flung her cigarette out of her hand and jumped out of the truck bed to catch her little brother in her arms when he reached her, already cooing soothing words to calm him down as she ran her hand up and down his back. After she looked him over and realized there wasn’t any physical damage, she had guessed that he was having an anxiety attack from being away from her for too long. She sighed with a bit of relief and looked back towards her friend, throwing her a look. “You owe him that ice cream now, Earp.” 

The two younger girls finally caught up, trying to catch their breath. They had been running as if they were in an Olympic race to catch up to the little boy. God _damn_ was he fast. Wynonna only realized _then_ that she should toss her cigarette. But it was too late, either way, for her younger sister had smelled the cancer sticks before she even had the chance to see them. It was just a matter of time before she got her full lung power back to then use it to scold her sister and her delinquent friend. 

“ _Seriously_?!” She barked with wide eyes, burning holes into both of them. 

Wynonna hopped off the tailgate, walking over to her with her hands up. “Wave-” 

“Nu-unh. _You_!” She pointed a heavy finger at the redhead, receiving nothing short of a hard glare from her in return.

Predicting where this was about to go, Nicole looked back to her brother, gave him a kiss on the head, and set him down, telling him to follow Chrissy to the car and wait for her. The blonde picked up her cue and escorted the younger redhead away from the shitstorm about to unravel. 

Now alone, Nicole stood up to her full height, which in all reality _did_ intimidate Waverly, but not enough to stop her from going off. “Ever since you came here it’s been nothing short of a _ticking time bomb_ before she goes back to how she was. And _cigarettes_ !? What, did you guys forget the _meth_ at home?!” As soon as the younger brunette felt the words fall off her lips, she felt _instant_ regret. Waverly Earp was great at many things, but holding her tongue at times when she _really_ should was unfortunately _not_ one of them. 

Wynonna’s eyes bulged out of her head and a mixture of pain and anger overtook her previously calm features. And Nicole? Well, let’s just say the younger girl should be _very_ glad that looks could not kill. 

The cheerleader gulped loudly but did not retract her angry face. She needed it to help hide her growing fear.

Wynonna and her friend shared a look. That’s all they needed between them. It spoke the words that would’ve caused problems between them if said aloud. In an eerie calmness, still looking exclusively at Wynonna, Nicole spoke, voice low and rough, “Looks like we’re gonna have to raincheck that ice cream.” Wynonna knew what was really said in that sentence. She _actually_ meant “ _You handle this cause we both know you don’t want me to_.” 

With one more glare, the taller one turned on her heel and headed to her car to tend to her still-crying brother. Within moments, she was pulling out of the parking lot, and Chrissy was heading back inside the school. It was then only left to the Earp sisters, Wynonna’s truck, and a thick wall of tension between them.

The older one ran her tongue across her teeth and jumped back up onto the tailgate whilst her sister still stood dumbfounded by the last 60 seconds. 

They were quiet for a moment. _Too_ quiet. “. . . So, uh, that was really fucked up, Waves.” Wynonna figured she’d break the silence first, seeing that her sister seemed to have no motives to. 

She tipped her head a bit, jaw still tightly clenched. “I didn’t mean-” 

“Yea, it’s a little _late_ for that.” Wynonna sharply inhaled as her lip twitched. She had to stay calm, but it was hard. This was the two most important people in her life going toe to toe and she couldn’t pick sides. So she had to stay calm and make this right. 

“Wynonna, I just got you back. You’ve been here for a while but you just started to find who you are and be lively again. _My sister_ again. I don’t want some _fuck up_ from your past to take you away again.” Waverly was fighting the growing mass in her throat. 

The older sister shot her a warning look although she had pain in her eyes. “ _Don’t_ call her that.” 

The younger brunette scoffed. “What should I call her then? Jailbird? Juvie? Delinquent? Hoodlum? Criminal?!” 

The fire was unleashed in Wynonna’s eyes as she stopped fighting the anger. She rarely showed her sister this side of her. The dark, ruthless demons she banished deep down. With one swift jump, she returned to having her feet planted heavy on the pavement below them, stopping inches within her face. “I _said_ ,” she growled out, “don’t _call_ her that. Or _any_ of that. _Ever_.” 

Waverly looked away as she gave in to her sobs, pushing her hand to her mouth. She was worried she was right; this Wynonna wasn’t _her_ Wynonna. She hadn’t seen her like this since she got home. 

“Look at me, Waverly,” the older sister demanded. The other complied, for she was scared absolutely _shitless_ of the person in front of her at the moment. 

Her features softened a bit, regaining some control over her demons that took control. Water buildup once again surrounded her expressive blue eyes. “You wanna know something? Your idea that that _Delinquent_ is the reason I became a fuck up is completely _wrong_ . That _so-called fucking Delinquent_ is the only reason why I’m _not_.” 

The other girl’s face released all angry tension it was holding, now more shocked than anything. “Nicole is the _only_ reason you _have_ your sister back. _She’s_ the one who made me wake the _fuck_ up and realize what I had. _She_ made me realize I needed you _just as much_ as you need me.” The darker brunette reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. It was worn, fraying at the edges, but she loved it more than anything. She flipped it open and pulled out a folded picture just as haggard looking as the wallet. When she unfolded it and held it out to her sister, the tears fell from her eyes. 

The photo was of Waverly. She was so young, smiling so big that it was showing off the front baby tooth that was missing. Her eyes were full of joy and warmth. Wynonna’s hand shook slightly as the other one cautiously took it from her to look at it closer. “You looked so happy. Not a care in the world. A-and for the _longest_ time, I thought staying away would keep that happiness alive. So _every night_ in those slummy corners where I’d make my ‘home’, I’d take that picture out and tell myself that I would _destroy_ that _sweet little smile_ and _everything else_ I loved about you if I were to ever come back . . . And I couldn't do that.” She was crying now too, stoic manner be damned. 

“ . . . All that kept me smiling was the hope that one day my big sister would come back- That we could be this happy together.”

“Yeah, I know that now. And Nicole is the only reason why.” She tilted her head slightly and gave a her sad smile. “I called her as soon as I got out. Told her to meet up with me. She turned her back for just a second, and I was going to use again. It was my routine. But she saw me and kicked it away. And _then_ kicked my ass. Both physically and verbally. But it was just to wake me up. She took that picture and she shoved at me. She told me that you needed me more than anything else . . . She’s the only reason why I’m here right now, trying every day to be the best big sister I can be.” Waverly looked up from the picture with the biggest doe eyes in the world. “Fuck it. She’s the only reason why I’m still _alive_.” 

No more words were needed. Waverly lunged forward and flung her arms around her sister. She held on for dear life, sobbing into her leather jacket. Wynonna clung back, crying equally into her hair and shoulder for what felt like an hour. 

“I’m s-sorry,” she mumbled into her shoulder. 

Wynonna pulled back but kept her hands where they were. “ _I’m_ not the one you should be apologizing to.” 

The shorter one looked down. Damn, how she hated when her sister was right. She nodded weakly in agreement, for she knew she had a shit ton of apologizing to do to the redhead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then


	5. It Ain't Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> le feels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queefster:  
> Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? A Monday update??????  
> THAT'S RIGHT, MY DUDES, IT'S HANUKKAH TIME! TIS THE MUTHAFUCKIN SEASON, BITCHES!  
> Thank Solace for being the best Jewish person I know cause it was her idea.  
> Y'all ain't ready for this one  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Solace:  
> I do believe I’m the only Jewish person Queef knows 😂 anyway hello guys happy Monday update I know it’s very off putting because it’s not a Tuesday but happy Hanukkah! And I think your Hanukkah is going to be the only thing happy after you read this chapter LOL it finna mess u up just saying. You MAY OR MAY NOT wanna keep your eyes peeled this holiday week for MAYBE some type of treats that MAY OR MAY NOT pop up 😏

**January 11th, 2019 8:01 AM**

Wynonna Earp was never one to be known for patience. She had made it this far in life without it, so she figured she shouldn’t break the streak now. And that meant she had absolutely  _ no  _ time for the predicted tension between her sister and best friend. So on this particular morning, she had planned to get it all done and over with. She had a game later on in the day and she wanted a good night of celebrating when they no doubt won without the pair at each other’s throats. 

Trudging through the hallways, the sisters were silent as the older one led the way. Now, Waverly knew the school inside and out like the back of her hand, but Wynonna was so good at weaving in and out of groups of people and different halls that even the cheerleader herself became a little lost. Wynonna knew that if her sister had even the slightest of hints as to where they were headed, she’d make a b-line in the opposite direction. 

“Okay, so what exactly are you showing me again?” The younger one asked as she struggled to keep up with her sister. 

“I told you already. Get your head in the game, Earp!” She cast her eyes over her shoulder playfully. With the fear of the younger girl asking too many questions and blowing her cover, Wynonna had decided to just do one of the things she did best and deflect. She knew she had made a flimsy excuse to get Waverly to follow her, saying something like some graffiti on a locker about Champ.

Which had worked out pretty well for her. 

Before she knew it, they had reached their destination. With a quick turn on her toes, the older sister cut the younger one’s stride too short, almost causing a full on collision. 

Luckily, Waverly used her emergency brakes and stopped just in time. “What the hell, Nonna!” 

An open locker door was the only thing seen behind Wynonna as she flashed an innocent smile. Grabbing her by the shoulders, she quickly switched their spots and shoved her closer to the open locker door. If Waverly wasn’t confused before, there was no doubt that she was now. 

“I’m not dealing with this!” Wynonna kicked the locker door which angered the person on the other side of it. 

“What the fuck, Dud-“ Nicole realized who it was that kicked her locker. Her eyes were soft when she saw the darker brunette, but hardened the instant she acknowledged the other one was there. She huffed incredibly loudly and rolled her eyes. “What did I do now?”

“Nothing as far as I know, Haught Stuff.” Waverly finally took in the situation. Her eyes were as wide as a feral deer in headlights. 

“Have fun, Babygirl!” Waverly shot daggers at her sister as she leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek before walking off. Now it was just the two in front of a couple lockers in the noisy hallway with nothing but awkward silence between them. 

The redhead crossed her arms, her textbooks tucked securely into her chest whilst doing so. “So.” She stared at her with a bored expression. She’s had better things to do . . . and that  _ could  _ involve a secluded janitor’s closet. Who knows? But it definitely wouldn’t happen with the youngest Earp just staring at her. 

She finally let out a sigh of defeat. “Look. I’m sorry about what I said yesterday. It was really messed up and I should have never accused you of-“ 

“What? Being a terrible influence on your sister? Trying to drug her up again? Ruining your family?” 

Waverly’s face tensed.  _ Of course _ she wasn’t going to let this apology go smoothly. Although, she couldn’t disagree. Her laundry list of reasons why she  _ should  _ be sorry was all true, and that was why it was so bitter to swallow. 

“Yes,” she huffed under her breath. “It wasn’t fair.” 

Nicole had enough. This apology wasn’t even the younger girl’s idea and she knew it. She could see it. She had no time for it. Before Waverly could continue, she interrupted, “You know what, Princess? I’ll spare you the embarrassment of having to apologize to a  _ delinquent  _ like me. You can tell Wynonna that it went okay and that we’re cool. No more fighting. Since I know it wasn’t  _ your  _ idea to apologize anyway.” The redhead’s mouth was down turned as if she tasted something bitter. “Save the bullshit for somebody else.” 

Waverly couldn’t tell you why her words had cut so deep and hurt so much. She didn’t know why she cared if the taller girl her believed she was sincere or not. But for whatever reason, it got under her skin. She chalked it up to not wanting to upset Wynonna, and ignored the very loud voice in the back of her mind telling her she knew that wasn’t true. She’d deal with that some other time. 

Nicole pushed off her locker that she had started to lean on, trying to walk away from this pointless interaction. School was gonna start soon and her homeroom was on the other side of the building. 

“Nicole,  _ wait _ ,” Waverly called out. She had turned around to face the redhead, who had already started to walk away. 

Nicole couldn’t tell you why she stopped. She couldn’t tell you why she secretly wanted Waverly’s apology to be sincere. She couldn’t tell you why she didn’t just  _ ignore  _ the girl and keep walking. She, like the other girl however, justified it with not wanting to upset Wynonna, and disregarded any other looming thoughts lurking around her mind.

With a turn on her heels and a pinch to the bridge of her nose, the junior once again faced her. “ _ What _ , Waverly?” 

She took a couple of steps towards her. “Okay, yeah. Wynonna  _ did _ have to drag me here. But that doesn’t mean I’m not sorry. I didn’t know what you did for her, and indirectly for our family. So even if you won’t accept my apology . . . thank you . . . for everything you did.” Her slightly watered eyes scanned the other girl’s face for a reaction, and was pleased when she found the stone cold expression softened. And also in the midst of actually focusing in on her face, she noticed something. Well  _ somethings _ . She noticed that she now had some new additions to her face. Those being an eyebrow ring, a nose ring, and an arrowhead industrial piercing, all in black. She hadn’t seen Nicole before as someone to have piercings, but then she remembered all of her tattoos and decided it wasn’t as shocking as she had previously thought. 

“Oh.” Nicole dropped her hand from her face and looked at Waverly, clearly confused about the turn this conversation took. “Um. Yeah.” 

Waverly lightly chuckled, for she had never seen this girl quite speechless. 

Nicole, however, took it as a smug laugh, which broke her out of her speechless state. Instantly, she had her walls back up and the surge of defense back in her person. “I didn’t do it for  _ you _ . I did it for Wynonna.” 

Now it was Waverly’s turn to be confused at the turn the conversation had taken. She thought they were cool? At this moment, she was sure she would have better luck dealing with a unicorn than the bewildering girl in front of her. So she too was back on defense. “I never said it was for m- You know what? . . . Just forget it.”

Nicole started walking again, though starting backwards to snark back one more time before leaving, “I think we both know  _ I won’t _ .” 

The brunette was left frustrated, confused, and  _ not  _ in the peppy mood she preferred to start everyday with. She let out a sigh, turning and walking back down the hallway opposite to her. Even though they were going to the exact same place, she would rather go the long way than walk there beside her. 

**8:20 AM**

After the tardy bell rang and Mr. Phlo took attendance, Nicole was immediately reminded that their partner presentation would start today. She let out a heavy breath as she flipped the page in her book, waiting for him to start naming off people.    


“And before anyone asks,  _ no _ , you cannot pick your partners. No one ever gets anything done.” He got a couple of groans in complaint. “Ok . . .” Nicole looked up at him, pushing her glasses up a bit as he looked across the room, seeming to be getting some type of sorting plan in mind. “Let’s make this easy. There are six rows of you; you’re with the person beside from right to left.” 

Nicole looked to her left, forgetting for a second of who sat beside her. She was quickly reminded by the sight of Waverly Earp’s annoyed face. The redhead rolled her eyes so hard, it hurt. The sound of desks moving filled their ears and they looked to see that all the groups were moving to their own area to get closer so they could work together. She sighed, turning sideways and leaning forward, grabbing Waverly’s desk by the side of the chair and the front leg of the desk, pulling her over since she seemed to have had no motives to move. “Howdy, Partner,” she grumbled, flicking the screen of her computer open. The brunette blinked at her for a second before mumbling a few curses under her breath as she opened her own screen. 

They looked up at the sight of the teacher in front of them. “Are you two going to be fine together or am I going to have to move you?” He asked in lieu of the events from the day before, even though he had kept them after class just to make sure the issue was over and done with. 

“No, we’ll be fine,” Waverly answered with a smile. She turned her head towards the junior. “Right, Nicole?” 

“Mhm.” The brunette snaked her hand under the desk and squeezed the sides of her kneecap in warning. Her head shot up in pain, but she hid it with a smile. “Yep, we’ll be great,” she assured.

He gave them a slow nod. “Alright . . . Come find me when you’ve picked your country. It’s first come, first serve.” 

“United States!” Waverly blurted before he walked away. He turned back with a confused hitch of his brow. “That’s what we want.” She looked towards Nicole, who gave her a nod with a shrug. 

“Ok then.” He directed his voice to the rest of the class. “The US has been taken!” Nicole smirked slightly, hearing the unison groan that left half the class’ mouth, for that was the easy option. “You guys have the  _ whole  _ Earth to pick from, what are you complaining about?” 

The redhead let out a sigh. “Now what do we do?” 

Waverly looked towards her to see if she was serious or not. “What do you mean,  _ now what do we do _ ? This is a  _ research  _ presentation, what do you  _ think  _ we’re gonna do?”

She threw her a look. “I mean what do we do with the information, _ Ass Hat _ .”

“We put it in a slideshow!  _ Jesus Christ _ ! Were you even paying attention?!” 

“Does it  _ look  _ like I was paying attention?”

She let out a heavy breath as she clicked around on her laptop. “Just look something up, would ya?”

The junior huffed, typing in some key terms into Google. “Sir, yes Sir.”

**12:18 PM**

Nicole made her way down the locker room steps, entering the room with her eyes on her book. She had just gotten to a really good part and there was no way she was going to leave herself on a cliffhanger. She walked down the rows, looking up every couple of seconds for a blink so she could see where she was. She turned the corner of her row, flipping the page. 

She let out a short gasp, though, immediately feeling herself bump into someone ( _ again _ ). She reached out and grabbed them, pulling them back towards her in reflex. She had a tendency of bumping into people since her face was always in a book, so she knew the drill at this point. 

But what she hadn’t realized was that she had bumped into Waverly ( _ for the second time _ ). That wasn’t the worst part, though. No. She had bumped into Waverly as she had been bending down to pull her leggings off of her feet. 

So that meant that Nicole had  _ basically _ just humped her best friend’s little sister.

And was still standing there in shock as she held her pantsless ass against her front. 

“ _ NICOLE, WHAT THE FUCK?! _ ”

She let go with saucers for eyes, putting her hands up as the brunette stood up straight and spun around to face her. Both of their faces were as red as the Santa socks on Waverly’s feet that she was  _ still  _ having a hard time packing away for next Christmas. “I’M SORRY!” 

“Are you so  _ fucking  _ incompetent that you can’t even walk?! Cause that’s two days  _ in a row _ that you’ve ran into me!  _ Two _ , Nicole!”

“I didn’t see you!” She defended. 

“Well you didn’t have to  _ grab  _ me like that!” 

Nicole made a face, knowing she would have fallen forward if she hadn’t. “ _ Oh _ , ok. Next time I’ll just let you fall  _ right  _ on that  _ perfect  _ face of yours.” She scooted her out of the way with her hand on her shoulder so she could get to her locker, muttering things under her breath. 

Waverly let out a huff as she pulled her PE shorts up and grabbed her shirt. She was surprised Nicole  _ didn’t _ let her fall on her perfect face-  _ wait _ . She squinted up at the redhead while she unbuttoned her black and blue flannel. “Did you just say my face was  _ perfect _ ?” She questioned slowly. 

The junior looked towards her with a glare as she pulled it off and folded it to set in her locker. “You know what I meant,” she grumbled. 

“Mmmmmmhmmmmmmmmmm.” The shorter one gave her a smirk similar to her older sister’s- completely and utterly full of  _ shit _ . 

“Fuck  _ off _ , Waverly,” she scoffed, holding down a smile.

The brunette snickered, “ _ You _ said it.” 

“ _ You said it _ ,” she mocked with an obnoxiously high voice. 

She looked towards her, mouth falling over in offense. “I do  _ not _ sound like that!” She punctuated it by throwing her shoe at her. 

Nicole snorted, for she caught it. She turned towards her and teasingly jerked her arm back, but the brunette ducked down into a ball with a shriek. She dropped her arm to her side, blinking down at her. “Dude, chill,” she laughed lightly. 

Waverly peaked out, seeing that she was standing there (still shirtless for whatever reason) staring at her like she was a dog in a bird’s cage. She let out a huff and stood. “Gimme.” She gestured for her shoe. 

The older one went to hand it back, but tugged it away when she went to grab it and stuck her arm in the air. “What’s the magic word?” She sang, wiggling it around. 

The sophomore shot her a look. “Please?” She offered unamused. 

“Nope.” 

“Nicole, give me my  _ shoe _ .” 

“That’s not it either.” 

“ _ Haught _ .” She walked towards her and reached for it, but that was definitely no use, even when she tried to stand on her toes. “Gimme it!” 

“What’s the magic word?” The redhead laughed, staring down at her with a toothy grin. 

The shorter girl soon realized this way was going to get her  _ nowhere _ , so she switched up her tactics. Within seconds, all signs of aggravation melted away from her features and in its place was a sly look of flirtation. Looking up through her thick eyelashes, Waverly made sultry eye contact with the girl in front of her and changed her stance to be looser and more  _ inviting _ . Twirling a strand of her hair, her voice came out as sweet as candy, “Please, Nicole?” 

When she then saw her little act start to work on the redhead, judging by the way she subconsciously wet her lips, she amped it up because . . . Well, why not? She smoothly stepped forward and ghosted her hand down the other girl’s exposed abs, her grin only growing from the reaction it got. 

The whisper of a touch might as well have been 50,000 volts shooting through Nicole right then. She was not in control of her eyes shooting open, nor was she in control of the previously steady air flowing in and out of her lungs suddenly racing into her lungs before seemingly disappearing.  _ God damn, this wasn’t fair _ . Nicole had to internally chastise herself to keep calm and definitely  _ not _ think about how much the touch excited her. Like, really,  _ really  _ excited her. It was different and refreshing. Something she hadn’t felt in a  _ very  _ long time. 

_ Nope,  _ s he thought. _I'm_ _ losing it. _

Waverly won and she knew it, and  _ oh  _ did it feel good. She distracted herself in her victory and paid no attention to how electrified she  _ also  _ felt by the touch. She was definitely way too preoccupied to think about it. 

When the taller girl regained control of herself, she frowned and backed away from the girl’s hand. “Nice try.” 

The brunette pouted her lip playfully, closing the space further between them than she had before. Her eyes did a quick sweep of her body, noticing they were in line with her collarbone. She hooked her fingers around her belt to keep her in place as she slid her finger across it, flicking her eyes back up to brown, all thoughts of teasing her gone. “The Outsiders, huh?” She questioned quietly, now being able to read the words tattooed there for the first time. She had immediately recognized ‘ _ Stay Gold’ _ from the book. She began to trace the calligraphy as she felt the redhead’s stomach heaving in and out against her, “It’s a good book.” 

“You think so?” Nicole asked, voice dropped to a level she hadn’t heard from her before. 

She looked up from her tracing with a nod, “It’s the book that got me into poetry . . . to Robert Frost.” 

She raised her eyebrows, biting the bar in her mouth a bit out of habit, watching as the brunette’s eyes widened down at it as she noticed it for the first time. “Is that right?” She hummed, slowly dropping her arm to her side and letting the shoe fall to the ground. The brunette bit her lip with a nod.

Something was happening.

They both knew something was happening. 

Waverly knew because she saw her drop her shoe, but had no motives to pull away from her. And Nicole knew because she  _ knew _ she knew she had dropped it, yet here she was. Still pressed up against her. 

And  _ usually _ when Nicole could sense that something was happening, she would just go for it without a second thought. 

But.

But something was  _ different _ . 

There was something  _ different  _ about the way her stomach was throwing it’s contents around like a blender. And there was something  _ different  _ about the way her heart was pumping rocket-fast in her chest. 

“Waves . . .” The redhead mumbled as she felt their bodies go completely flush against one another, for she had tugged her forward by her belt. “What about Cha-” 

Waverly pushed a finger to her lips to stop her and smirked as she lowly began speaking the words she had memorized from the first time she laid eyes on the book, “Nature’s first green is gold.”

The junior continued the next line without so much as a thought to her previous worries, “Her hardest hue to hold.”

“Her early leaf’s a flower . . .”

Nicole moved her hands gently to her waist as she backed her up a few steps. “ . . . But only so an hour.”

The pair found themselves stealing glances at each other’s lips, almost entranced by the words falling off them slowly. “Then leaf subsides to leaf.”

“So Eden sank to grief.”

“So dawn goes down to day.”

The redhead sighed lightly as she felt the push of the brunette’s back hitting the lockers behind them. She met her eyes as she reached up and cupped her cheek. “. . .  _ Nothing gold can stay _ .” Waverly watched her eyes flick down to her lips just as she did the same, feeling her fingers grip into her hip. 

Nicole’s thighs were pressed against the fronts of her’s, so when her phone started buzzing in it, she felt it. 

And it was quite honestly ruining the mood. 

She pressed her hand against her neck gently as she let out a huff, sliding her hand down her body and feeling around for her pocket, digging the phone out when she found it. She turned it toward her to shut it off as the older girl’s thumb traced anxious patterns into her cheek, but she paused, seeing  _ Purg. Elem. _ as the contact ID. 

Her brow quickly furrowed. “Nic . . .” She looked up at her as she turned the screen to face her. 

If it were  _ anyone else _ , Nicole would have said fuck it and gave into those waiting lips. 

But the place she knew Nash was was definitely  _ not  _ just  _ anyone else. _

She pushed off of the brunette, taking the phone out of her hand and meeting her eyes as she smacked it against her ear. “Hello?” 

“Ms. Haught?” The voice on the other line answered, and she immediately did  _ not _ like the tone of her voice. 

“Uh-huh. What’s wrong?” The redhead swallowed, looking down after feeling the brunette touch her hand. Waverly had sensed that whatever this lady was going to tell her  _ probably  _ wasn’t going to be a good thing considering that the school never calls in the middle of the day to tell the guardian a  _ good thing _ . 

“Well. We’re having a bit of an issue with your brother at the moment . . .”

**January 11th, 2019 12:07 PM**

Nash’s class made their way down the hall, turning into the art room. They all scattered, running to find their seats in their assigned spots. Nash got into his seat at the “Red Table” that he was 100% sure the teacher had put him at because of his hair. Though, she had insisted that she had placed his name there without having even known what he looked like. Once everyone was seated, the first grade teacher gave her class a wave before exiting the room, leaving them to the art teacher. 

“Hi, Guys!” Mrs. Carters smiled. 

“Hi,” they all chorused. 

“Most of you are finishing up your color wheel project, so if everyone finishes  _ today _ , we can start something new tomorrow. How does that sound?” 

“Yea!” They all cheered. 

She clapped her hands once and pushed herself off her desk. “Alright! Go get started. I’m right here if anyone needs help.” 

The kids flew out of their seats towards the cubbies where they had kept their projects in. They grabbed some baskets of markers and crayons for their table and were immediately back in their seats, hovering over their work and chatting amongst themselves. 

The teacher kept a watchful eye on the group as usual, but the sight of a lonesome boy stood out to her like a sore thumb, for the rest of the boys at the table were sitting on the other end away from him. She quickly recognized him as the new boy, little Nash Haught, the sweetest thing she had ever met. He was just as lively and content as the others but there was something different. Something in the motion of his little frame was slightly hesitant despite him doing simple, normal actions like coloring or reaching for a crayon. 

But she didn’t really pay a mind to that. 

She was more concerned about his reasoning for keeping to himself. 

She pushed herself up from her desk with a sigh, walking around it and heading over to his table. She grabbed a chair that wasn’t occupied and pulled it up beside him. 

“What’re you drawing, Bud?” 

Her voice made him jump, but he turned his head towards her, pulling his legs under his butt before holding up his paper to show her. “Coley.” 

She gently took it from him and looked it over with a small smile. The picture was of a girl’s face who she could only assume was  _ Coley _ . And he had incorporated the color wheel in each of her glasses lenses. She was pretty astonished with the detail he had been able to put into it with no reference. And also the fact that he was  _ seven _ . But she ignored it, letting her eyes glide to the top with a chuckle, seeing how he had scribbled down “Cole-r Wheel ❤️” in the space that was supposed to say color wheel. 

She handed it back to him and he set it on the table, continuing to color in her collarbone tattoo with a black marker. “Who’s Coley?” She questioned, leaning back in her chair and throwing her leg over the other. 

“My sister,” he answered. 

“Your sister, huh?” 

“Ya.” 

“Why’d you draw her?” 

“Cause the color wheel has all the colors in it, like the rainbow. And Cole’s a rainbow person . . . We like to wear our rainbow stuff in June. She always says it a time to celebrate and be happy.” He hummed as he continued to fine-tune the portrait of his sister. 

Her eyes widened for a second, but she slowly nodded. “That’s really cool of her, Nash.” 

“She’s pretty cool,” he mumbled, a dimple popping out on his cheek. 

Her heart couldn’t help but melt at the sight. The boy with fiery hair and glasses the size of his face was beaming with pride for his sister. It was as if she was his everything. The teacher thought to herself for a moment quietly and the mini Haught remained in his little artistic zone. She was so deep in thought, in fact, that at first she didn’t process what she saw out of the corner of her eye. But eventually her brain caught up, and she really took in what she saw. 

The little boy stuck the tip of his tongue out of his lips as he reached with determination across the table. He needed the purple marker for her shirt and he was going to make sure he got it before anyone else did. In the process, his grey shirt rode up a tad in the back. But he didn’t think about that; a purple marker was on the line. 

Mrs. Carters’ eyes were stuck to the little boys back. Or, more so what had engulfed what should be normal skin. 

This was anything  _ but  _ that.

Her eyes met the sight of angry, dark marks that had hunkered down into the boy’s flesh. Some of the shapes were attached, some free-standing, but all of them darker, more sinister than the last. But as her terrified orbs scanned the rest of this poor boy’s back she was sure her heart was going to break. 

Violent, shadowy red lines ripped into pale flesh; the lingering presence of what no doubt was enough force to leave scars was evident in the belt-shaped lacerations left behind. Despite the wounds being no more than a phantom of what it had undoubtedly been before, the trauma was still there. 

The worst of it all, if the teacher had to pick, would be the small, rounded circles of darkened skin. With a quick glance and no other marks to attract attention, the spots could pass as simple birthmarks, or possibly big freckles. How she wished they were just that. But no. The shaded patches of skin were revealed to be scar tissue, but not just scar tissue that’s built by reopening cuts. If only it were just that. These small, yet daunting circular scars were clearly burn marks- _cigarette_ burn marks. The thought of anyone using this sweet, beautiful, little boy as an ashtray made the woman absolutely sick to her stomach. 

She realized that her earlier thought that the thing she should have been more worried about was the fact that he was sitting alone was completely  _ wrong _ , and now seeing how stiffly he had been moving, she could only assume that the small bit of skin she _did_ see was only the beginning of it. 

She swallowed a large lump in her throat as she stood and walked towards the phone by the door, taking it off the mount and pulling the cord along with her as she took a step out of the room, having dialed the social worker’s room number. “Mrs. Morris?” 

“Yes?” The voice on the other end answered. 

“Hey, it’s Kim. Can you head to the nurse’s office for me and tell the office to send me a sub on your way?” 

She heard movement in the room before the phone was picked up. “Why? What happened?” 

She dropped her voice a bit. “I think we may have a code pink in my first grade- The new Haught boy?” 

“Ok, I’m on my way. Don’t let him start freaking out.”

“I won’t.” She thanked the social worker and entered the room again, hanging the phone back up and walking back over to her seat next to Nash, sitting down as she waited impatiently for her substitute to get there. 

Within a few minutes, an older woman showed up with a smile and she walked over to her and explained to her what the kids were doing. Once she was sure she wasn’t going to let them run wild, she walked back over to the little redhead. 

She sat back down beside him, turning more towards him. “Hey, Nash?” 

“Hmm?” He questioned, not looking up from his paper as he intently colored an area in. 

“D’you wanna go on a walk with me?” She asked, giving him a smile when he turned his head towards her with a cocked eyebrow. 

“Why?” He asked, setting the marker down. 

She thought up something real quick. “I was wondering if you’d tell me more about your sister and the rainbow people?” His face brightened up at the mention of his sister and he quickly climbed off the chair, following her out of the room. “So how old is Coley?” 

“17. Just last week, too.” 

“Did you have a party?” She asked with a wink. 

“I wish,” he laughed. “But she had to work.” 

“Well that stinks.” He let out a grunt in agreement. “Where’s she work at?” 

“McDonald’s- Well, Wally-World too, but usually McDonald’s.” 

Her head snapped down towards him, brows shooting up. “Wait- Your sister’s name is  _ Nicole _ ?” 

He nodded but shrugged his shoulders. “She’s my Coley.” 

She suddenly realized that this situation was very,  _ very _ different than she had previously thought. “Huh. My mom’s her manager at McDonald’s.” And her mother had _also_ told her the whole story of how they had been living in the parking lot, then having asked her and the rest of their small family to chip in some money for them.

“The one who gives me cookies?!” He questioned with a wide grin.

She looked down at him with a laugh as she nodded her head, “The one who gives you cookies.” She placed her hand delicately on his shoulder and guided him into the nurse’s office. This was the first time she saw any hint of fear on the boy, for he was obviously not too pleased as she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone with just her and two other women. He looked up at the art teacher with a furrowed brow, taking a step closer to her. 

“Who are them?” He asked quietly, looking up at as he continued to inch closer to her leg. 

“That’s Mrs. Morris and Nurse Nancy,” she informed, pointing to them as she said their names. 

“Why?” 

“Um . . .” She looked up at the other two. 

“Hey, Nash?” The nurse called. He looked towards her timidly. “Can you hop up here for me?” She pat the cushioned table that was next to her. 

“Why?” 

“I just wanna talk to you,” she smiled.

He stared at her for a long couple of seconds before feeling the art teacher giving him an encouraging push towards her. He walked over and climbed up with a light wince, scooting back all the way so he was touching the wall and pulling his knees to his chest. 

“It’s alright, Nash. We just wanna check some things out. A little check-up like your classmates come and get sometimes.” He looked into the nurse’s caring eyes, but something in his body told him that wasn’t completely the case. His eyes then shifted back to the art teacher’s, examining her face as well. With a skeptical sigh and a cocked eyebrow, he released his knees from his chest but didn’t relax, for he was ready to bolt as if it was second nature. Because, unfortunately, it  _ was _ his second nature. 

“That’s it, thank you, Nash,” the social worker tried to soothe him, but the kid was not having it. She was met with what could only be described as mini daggers hidden behind fear- _lots_ of fear. 

The nurse began a normal checkup to kill off any suspicion hiding within his head. First, she checked his ears, then his eyes and throat. She asked him to swing both legs to check for any improper growth patterns. When that was all good, she reached for her stethoscope. 

Nash froze. He knew she would be taking that cold, scary thing and sticking it up his shirt, and that was something that he just could not let happen. But before he could move, Nurse Nancy had already stealthily slipped the steel microphone under his shirt, a skill she had mastered after years of dealing with squirmy kids. 

“Breathe, Honey.” She listened as his breath was labored and his heart raced. She tried again, “Nash, Sweetie, I need you to calm down. I gotta make sure your heart and lungs are good and healthy, okay?” Though it was no use. The boy was in fight or flight mode and he was just about done fighting; he was ready to fly. 

But he wasn’t able to.

Mrs. Carters walked over and sat down by him, placing her hand on his knee gently, for she had sensed his motives. “It’s ok, Buddy. I promise.” 

He looked up at her with terror in his eyes. “I don’t like it,” he said with a shake of his head, scooting away from the nurse and her cold metal demon. 

“Why don’t you like it?” She asked, furrowing her brows. 

“Cause . . . I don’t.” He pulled his knees back up, moving slightly behind the teacher. 

She looked up at her colleagues, clenching her jaw. But an idea popped in her head. “If I let Nurse Nancy do it to me, will you let her do it to you?”

He stared up at her with narrowed eyes, scanning between the other two faces as he thought it over. “. . . Maybe.” 

“ _ Maybe _ ?” She questioned, tipping her head. He nodded. “Ok,” the teacher sighed. “I’ll take maybe.” She looked up to the Nurse and she gave her a nod, understanding the game plan. She slipped the stethoscope up her sweater and moved it around a few times before pulling it back out. “See? That wasn’t bad.” 

“It wasn’t?” He asked quietly. 

“No. You were just squirming around the first time. It’s not as bad when you stay still,” she coaxed with a smile. 

He chewed his lip a bit before letting out a sigh, scooting back towards the end of the table. “If you say so.”

Mrs. Carters gave him a proud smile and Mrs. Morris walked up beside the table, giving a nod to the Nurse. She gently repeated the action of slipping it under his shirt and instructed him on his breathing a couple of times. 

But after she was sure he had calmed down to a point of turning off his radar, she moved her free hand to the bottom hem of his shirt and lifted it about halfway, dropping the metal tool in the process. For his safety and their own, the two beside her each grabbed one of his arms to slightly restrain him. 

All of this came to a shock for him and it took him a couple of seconds to realize what had actually happened. 

But it was too late. 

They had already seen it. 

The three sets of eyes were soon to see the haunted sight of Nash’s torso. For a small body, the damage done to it was anything but. Flashes of deep scars indented in otherwise soft skin, brutal displays of a war raging between blood cells and scar tissue beneath the surface, and the shadows of savagery once wreaked were in every spot the intruding eyes examined. Evidence of previously broken ribs (most likely improperly treated, if at all) was in slightly raised bruised scarring. Pale skin faded into browning yellow pools surrounding black and blue with the occasional deep purple. It was the worst abstract painting-esque sight any of the three women had seen. 

“No!” He yelped, trying to bring his arms in as the three looked down at his torso wide-eyed. But the two kept hold of him, trying to calm him down. 

“Shh, it’s ok,” Mrs. Morris soothed. “We’re not gonna hurt you, Bud.” 

“NO!” His eyes were filled with tears as he tried to flail all of his limbs. The social worker reached over and grabbed both of his upper arms, turning him and pulling him to lay down, getting Mrs. Carters to pin down his ankles so he wasn’t able to kick anyone. The nurse then pulled his shirt up more, maneuvering it off of his body with the help of the social worker. 

“You’re ok, Nash. I promise. We just have to look.” 

“LET GO!” He cried out as the tears carved paths down his purple flushed face. The nurse tried to hold his hips down as gently as she could, for she had to assess if the boy needed to be taken immediately to a hospital or not. 

His screams and wails for mercy filled the room, most likely alerting everyone else in the vicinity that something was going on. But no matter how the three tried ruthlessly to get him to stop moving, they couldn’t.

The little redhead suddenly snaked in his left arm, quickly reaching up and peeling her fingers off of her other arm. He rolled and pulled his legs in to get them out of the art teacher’s grip, falling to the tiles with a thud. He grabbed his shirt that he had knocked down with him and hauled himself to his feet, narrowly escaping their grabbing hands as he reached the door. He ripped it open and slid out of it, starting a sprint down the hallway, pulling his shirt back on in the process. He heard their voices calling after him, but he ignored them, trying to see through the tears clouding his vision. 

“ _ Code yellow, repeat, code yellow. All students and teachers please remain in your classrooms. _ ” The voice sent a high ring through the halls as it faded back to nothingness. He looked behind him, seeing only the social worker and nurse chasing after him, so he figured Mrs. Carters had been the one to inform the office of the situation. 

_ Two small feet pounded against the cold, hard ground. His heart thumping in his small chest and heavy breathing were the only things he could hear.  _

He flung himself down a corner and let out a breath of relief, seeing the sign for a bathroom. 

_ Sounds of booming stomps and slurred screaming got closer and closer with every pump of his heart. Tearing eyes flickered frantically around, trying desperately to find a safe haven.  _

He skidded to a stop in front of it before turning into it and locking himself in one of the stalls, climbing up onto the toilet seat and covering his mouth to lessen the sounds of his sob-filled breaths. 

_ Hiding under his bed, he muffled cries in fear of being caught. But he knew he would be. A waiting game. It was  _ always  _ a waiting game. He knew the bad things were coming, it was just a matter of time before he found him.  _

**January 11th, 2019 12:24 PM**

“We’ve all gone in there to try and coax him out, but we fear if we manually open the door, it will put us in a heap of trouble.” 

Nicole switched the hand holding the phone to her ear as she fumbled her flannel back on, holding it with her cheek as she quickly buttoned it back up. “Y-yea. Do not do that,  _ please _ . Call the school so I can sign myself out and I’ll be there.” 

“I will right away. Thank you, Nicole.” 

She hung up without a response, shoving her phone in her pocket. She slammed her locker shut, spinning around and looking into Waverly’s concerned eyes. “I-Is he ok?” She asked quietly. 

Nicole swallowed the lump in her throat, shaking her head. “Nope.” She looked down, seeing all of her stuff sitting on the bench. “After class, can you t-take that all to the office for me? I don’t want anyone to steal anything.” The brunette quickly nodded and Nicole gave her shoulder a squeeze as she quickly moved past her. “Thank you.” 

And with that, the junior was off. She flew up the stairs and tore through the gym, using her growing sense of direction of the school’s halls to take her the fastest route to the main office. She pulled open the door and rushed up to the desk, planting her hands firmly on the counter as she stared down the now-scared secretary. “W-What?” She questioned. 

“Did- The grade school was supposed to call.” 

She cocked an eyebrow, but turned her head, hearing her phone ringing. She put it to her ear and answered it, nodding along for a few seconds before her eyes widened up at Nicole and she slid the sign-out sheet in front of her. Nicole lifted the pen and scribbled things in all the boxes and she flapped her hand at her, so the redhead dashed out the door and out of the building, sprinting to her car on the far side of the parking lot. 

Within minutes she had reached the elementary school. She hadn’t bothered to park correctly, nor did she even lock the doors as she rushed into the building. Bursting through the office doors, she met four different people: the Principal, the nurse, Mrs. Carters, and the social worker. 

“Ms. Haught?” The principal addressed the redhead. 

She scrunched her face slightly. “Nicole’s fine, thanks.” 

“Right.” She could tell the older woman was going to probably start launching into a large and very useless speech about procedures and whatnot, and quite frankly, she didn’t give a rat’s ass. 

“Where’s Nash?” 

“Ms. Hau- _Nicole_. We believe your brother is in some serious danger. It’s come to our attention that he has severe sc-“

“Scarring and bruising? Yeah I know already.” Her brown eyes burned holes in three out of the four women in front of her. The other seemed to match her impatience for all the official crap. 

The principal's eyes narrowed as she continued, “So you are  _ aware  _ of the serious injuries Nash has suffered? Are you or anyone you know inflicting them upon him?” 

The ignorant older woman may have been smart in some areas, but she clearly didn’t know not to mess with a certain protective and  _ really pissed  _ older sister. But what she lacked knowledge in, Mrs. Carters made up for. She tried to step forward and diffuse the situation about to unfold, but it was too late. 

Nicole’s eyes went from intense to hard and then dark. An eerie calm came over the girl’s voice as she began, “You think  _ I  _ did that to my little brother, huh?” She questioned with a low chuckle. 

Although she had to swallow a large bubble of fear creeping out from inside, Principal Holmes lifted her head with a faux sense of power. “I’m sure you’re aware of how it looks on our end, Nicole. You have been the one to register him here, you’re the only emergency contact. No sign of your parents. It’s only logical that we suspect you after finding his injuries.” 

“If you’re looking for our parents, I’ll make it _real_ easy for you. Our mom’s dead. And our dad?” She scoffed as she ripped her flannel open to reveal her torso. Aside from her tattoos, there on display were multiple faded scars scattered across her lower abdomen. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Nicole turned and lifted her shirt to reveal her lower back. The sight was enough to make Holmes want to eat her words a hundred times over. 

Many,  _ many  _ now-paled rips and tears littered the girl’s toned back as they splintered out into vibrant red scars. Most of what was shown on Nicole the trio had already witnessed on Nash earlier, but instead of bruising and fresher cuts and scars, the older sibling’s told of older and much more abuse. 

Just as she had been the one to find them on Nash’s little frame, Mrs. Carters’ eyes darted to the burn marks covering the midsection of Nicole’s back. Her pained eyes followed a trail of slightly blackened, round marks to find a sickening pattern of a smiling face. Despite the plenty scarred over marks outnumbering them, the burnt in face was chillingly placed in the middle of it all, almost like the sick mind behind it wanted his work proudly on display. 

The room fell silent. All accusations were long gone, and the only thing left was the principal picking up the pieces of whatever pride she had left. The group stood deathly still as they watched the redhead yank her flannel back on, turning as she began to button it back up. 

“Right, so if y’all are done accusing me of beating the  _ fuck  _ outta my brother,  _ and  _ putting me on display like a  _ zoo animal _ , I’d like to see him.  _ Now _ .” The last word came out more like a growl rather than a demand like she had planned. Either way, it was effective. Without another word, Principal Holmes turned to Mrs. Carters and motioned for her to lead the way. 

As they walked down the hallway, the taller girl kept noticing the other woman stealing glances of her out of the corner of her eye. It was as if she was under surveillance and that was the absolute  _ last _ thing she needed on top of this complete  _ shitshow  _ of a day. 

“Shouldn’t you know it’s not  _ polite  _ to stare, Miss Teacher Lady?” The redhead snarled. 

“Kim. Call me Kim.” The art teacher pardoned her tone. “And I wasn’t trying to stare, I just . . .” She reached in her pocket and retrieved a folded piece of drawing paper. Without another word, she handed it to Nicole. When she saw her open it and look at the picture, she continued quietly, “He’s really talented. And creative . . . The assignment was to incorporate a basic color wheel, but Nash said the colors reminded him of ‘Coley and the other rainbow people’.” Despite the perhaps inappropriate timing, Kim grinned rather proudly as she spoke of her student. 

If she wasn’t in a rush to get to her baby brother, Nicole would probably have stopped to fully take in the picture she was handed. With each and every day, that boy never disappointed with just how big his heart was. “Thank you. For this, and for caring about him.” She didn’t look up to the teacher; she knew she didn’t have to. Thankfully, they came up to the bathroom shortly after, cutting off the opportunity for any more slightly uncomfortable conversation. 

“Are you sure he’s still in there?” Nicole questioned. But before the other woman could answer, a small sob was heard from inside. With nothing more than a sigh, the redhead turned to face the door and opened it just a crack. 

Sticking her face in only an inch or so, she called to her brother, “Bug? You in here?” She was relieved to hear the muffled sobs appear to stop with a small gasp. With that, she carefully made her way fully into the bathroom. “Hey. Where are you, Little Man?” She paused, waiting for another sign of acknowledgment. 

A small whisper of what sounded like ‘Coley?’ came from behind one of the stall doors. 

“What was that?” Nicole prompted the voice to repeat itself. If she hadn’t known who it was, there would be no way she would’ve known what it said. 

After a moment of stale silence, a tiny, broken voice spoke just above a whisper, “Coley?” The little voice was thick with anguish, as she could hear sobs audibly being forced down. 

Nicole smiled sadly as she knit her brows together. “Yeah, Buddy. C’mere. It’s ok.” Still not able to figure out which door her brother was hiding behind because of the echo, she decided to just slide down the wall into a squat facing all the stalls. 

A minute or two passed before she heard light shuffling and the occasional small grunt. She watched with hopeful eyes until one of the stall doors opened cautiously. She dared not move; she knew this was on his terms. 

The little redhead stood in front of his sister with tears still spilling down his cheeks. His eyes never fully resting on her until he had frantically scanned the entire area for signs of anyone else. Nicole knew her brother wasn’t fully present yet, for he was still in survival mode. 

Breathlessly, she lightly spoke through a smile, “Hey, Baby Boy.” 

That was all Nash needed. 

The little boy rushed to his sister and only stopped when he was nestled into her chest. His sobs started once more, but this time they weren’t out of fear. They were more so out of relief and fatigue. 

On instinct, the older sister embraced him warmly, wrapping her arms securely around him and lifting him as she stood to her full height. She ran her fingers through his hair as she soothed him, lightly rocking him from side to side. “It’s okay, Baby Boy. I’ve got you.” Her eyes stayed locked on nothing in particular. Only because what she was staring at wasn’t actually there, but a memory from the last time she had to mutter those words. Her jaw clenched as flashes of a night that will forever haunt her flooded her eyes. “I  _ swear  _ I’ve got you.” 

**December 25th, 2018 8:45 PM**

_ Screams. _

_ Screams pierced through the walls and echoed down the hallways.  _

_ No. No, they’re not just screams. Cries and sobs entwined with each wail. It was maddening.  _

_ Blurry flashes of stomping boots in shadows joined the terrifying scene. Stomping. Yelling. Yelling.  _

_ Yelling.  _

_ CRACK _

_ The sounds of impact on skin bounced off the walls at a deafening volume.  _

_ It has to be stopped.  _

Nicole walked up to her apartment building for the first time in several months. Having just been released about a week prior, and now that she had found some stability, all she wanted to do was see her brother and apologize for everything that happened. She hoped her father was asleep. Or drugged out. Or just not home.

Her wishes, however, were just not coming true for her that night. 

She hadn’t heard anything until she had gotten to the front door. That’s when she heard the first shrill plea for mercy. 

And that’s when all the color left her body followed by the air in her lungs. 

She quickly gathered herself and tried the doorknob, but it was locked. She let out a series of curses as she dashed over to the end of the hall, shoving the cushiony chair that had sat there for as long as she could remember out of the way, and grabbed the spare key from where she had always hidden it under one of it’s legs. 

She ran back over to the door and unlocked it, pushing it open and entering the apartment quietly. She hastily made her way down the hall, following the ear-splitting screams to where she could only assume she could find her father. Sure enough, in their room, farthest down the hall, she could see his daunting figure hunched over the sobbing, rigid frame of her baby brother. 

And in that very moment, standing in that open doorway, something in Nicole snapped. 

She’s not even too sure how she ended up there, but the next thing she remembered she was behind her unassuming father as he continued to assault his son. 

She snaked one of her arms around the man’s neck, muscles flexing to their fullest with the force she used to cut off all air traveling from his nose to his lungs. Being just released, you’d think she should be careful not to crush his windpipe, but that was the  _ last  _ thing on her mind. 

The man jerked to an awkward stop mid-whip as he began to fight for his breath. Both his hands were now at work to try and pry the attacker’s arm off his throat. 

Nicole gritted her teeth as she growled forcefully, “If you so much as  _ look  _ at him one more  _ fucking  _ time, I will snap your  _ goddamn neck _ and not think twice about it.” 

The shaking mess weakly breathing on the floor looked up to see what he could almost make out as his sister through the tears filling his eyes. His glasses were lying somewhere on the floor next to him, having been knocked off at some point.

The senior Haught was gasping for oxygen, and that only encouraged his daughter to squeeze a little harder. “You  _ listen  _ to me, Neil Ryan Haught.” She waited until he stopped his pathetic grunts for air as she jerked him around slightly. “You will never,  _ ever  _ lay a hand on him again, do you understand me!? You are to never try and speak to or reach out to either of us _ever_ again.” The man pitifully mumbled acknowledgments before collapsing out of her chokehold. He fell in the fetal position just mere feet away from his son, who was lying in the same position.

“ _ Bug _ .” The girl dropped to her knees beside her brother as she carefully scooped him into her arms. She picked up his glasses before standing to her feet, cradling him securely to her chest as she walked out the door. Looking around the sad, messy living room one last time, she felt a weight on her shoulders dissipate as she burned the bridge that had been itching to for  _ ages _ . In that moment, she vowed that she would do whatever she had to do to ensure he would never have to return here ever again. 


	6. How Gross Can You Get?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Baby Nash. Let's see what happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queeferino:  
> WHAT??? A DOUBLE UPLOAD THIS WEEK?????  
> WHY, OF COURSE!  
> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!  
> Here's our gift from us to you! Enjoy!  
> ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
> Soul-less (solace):  
> Lmao y’all still hate me for my handiwork last chapter? It’s all good MERRY GIFT GIVING DAY YALL I was gonna have queef upload this on Boxing Day but 😒 lol jk enjoy your twofer see ya next week maybe who knows? Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah

**January 11th, 2019 1:03 PM**

“Would you like anything, Nicole?” The principal questioned, stepping into the room. 

“I’d like to leave,” she informed with a testing tip of her head. The group had given Nash time to calm down a bit, but right after she had walked out of the bathroom with him, she was forced into the social worker’s room with him. 

“Well, unfortunately, you can’t yet, Dear,” she said with a _totally_ apologetic smile. 

“Why’s that?” Nash shifted on her lap, pushing his face further into her chest. 

“First of all, we’re going to call an ambulance to take the both of you to the hospital so he can be further looked over by some professionals-”

“Noo,” the little one whined softly, looking up at his sister. 

She wrapped her arms tighter around him. “He’s been to a doctor already, but thank you.” 

“That wasn’t in his file,” Mrs. Holmes said, furrowing her brows. 

_Maybe because it was a doctor that wasn’t allowed to practice medicine anymore, but it was a doctor nonetheless._ “Well, it wasn’t an _official_ visit. But trust me. He’s fine. And he will _continue_ to be fine as long as your _torturing_ questions and orders stop because sitting here and asking me all of this won’t tell you anything I haven’t already told you. You know that _I_ didn’t do it, he’s not in a place where it _can_ happen again, and he never _will_ be. What else do you want to know?!” The woman’s mouth hung open for a few seconds as she searched for the answer to the question, but even she couldn’t find one. Nicole nodded, pushing her tongue against her cheek before standing up and repositioning her brother before walking towards her at the door. “You got his school records from The City, right?” She questioned, voice lower and threatening. 

Her eyes widened, but she nodded, “Yes.”

“So you know where we came from, right?” 

“We do.” 

“Mm.” The junior brought her face closer to her’s. “If you put this on your file and I find CPS at my door, I swear to you I will have _my_ people at _your_ door.” 

She heard her gulp as her eyes widened in fear and she glared at her for a few more seconds before turning and heading out the door. She walked towards the office and was going to tell the secretaries that she was going to be taking him home, but Mrs. Morris did a little jog to catch up with her. “Where are you going?” She questioned, standing in front of her, seeming to be blocking her path. 

“ _Home_ ,” she informed, blinking at her dumbly. 

“Wh- You can’-” 

“Are you gonna stop me?” She asked, voice filled with warning. The woman’s eyes widened and she took a step back in fear. “Principal Holmes gave me permission, so I would _highly_ suggest you get out of my way.” The look in her eyes was nothing short of a threat themselves, so she put her hands up, moving out of the redhead’s path. “ _Thank you_.” She walked past her into the office, signing Nash out and heading out to the car, setting him gently in the passenger’s seat before pulling away. 

They arrived at the motel and she got them inside, giving a nod to the man at the counter as she walked them down to their room. She gently laid him down on the bed and went to move away, but he let out a whine, holding onto the front of her shirt. 

“What, Baby?” She questioned with soft eyes. 

“Don’t go,” he mumbled. 

She cupped his cheek, rubbing it with her thumb. “I’m not, I promise. I’m just getting you some water.” 

He stared up at her, studying her face for a few seconds before trusting her on it and letting go. She smiled and stood up straight, walking over to their mini-fridge and pulling out two bottles. She turned her head back, though, seeing him out of bed and heading towards the door. “Nash, what’re you-” She paused, seeing his hand going towards the lock on the doorknob. She pursed her lips, walking back over to the bed and setting the bottles down as she sat, untying her boots and setting them at the end of the bed. 

Nicole had figured that the train of events would mess with her brother’s head. And seeing that he was back at it with his lock ritual, she was right. She had discovered that he had developed OCD at a very young age, right after he had turned four if she had to make a guess. At first, it was small things. Ripping a page out of his coloring book if he colored out of the lines and starting a new one. Making sure he was stepping over the cracks and such on sidewalks and roads. Not eating the broken Pringles, only the whole ones. But as time passed, and the abuse got worse when he was sent home, his symptoms got worse, too. 

The Dreaded 20, _well that’s what she called it_ , came about after her second to last time getting out of juvie. She had taken him back to The House, but right after they walked through the door, he had stopped, twisting the lock on the door _20_ times. She didn’t know where the number came from or when he had started it, but when he was having a bad day, things usually worked in twenties for him. It took her a while to get used to. Wanting to go to sleep, but having to wait until he was done flipping his pillow 20 times got annoying, but she knew better than to stop him (she had learned that the hard way). Of course it couldn’t have been three or four. It _had_ to be 20. 

She stood up from the bed with a sigh, watching as he moved up to the deadbolt. She walked over to the closet, pulling the door open and reaching up onto the top shelf, pulling down his blue and green tangle toy and the weighted stuffed lion that he had owned forever. He used to carry that lion around _everywhere_ , but he forgot about it more and more as he got older. She was even surprised that he wasn’t sleeping with it at night anymore because he had been before she went in last. Maybe he had just been too wrapped up in everything else going on to think about it, though.

She saw he was just about done with the chain lock when she turned and he stopped, turning his head towards the light switch. “Bug,” she called quietly. He turned his head, furrowing his brows at her. She held up his lion, wiggling it a bit with a raise of her eyebrow. 

His face immediately saddened as he remembered his furry friend. “Olly,” he mumbled, slowly walking over and taking him from her. 

Nicole moved up on the bed, grabbing the waters and remote off the nightstand. “C’mere.” 

The little one climbed up on the bed and settled, leaning back into his sister and taking the tangle toy out of her hand. It would at least keep his brain a little occupied. 

Now comfortable, Nicole flicked the TV on and wrapped one of her arms around him as he looked down at the toy as he twisted it around. When she had bought it a year back, she had made sure to get one with _20_ pieces on it. That and Olly seemed to be the only thing that could help slow his brain down these days. 

She set the water she had grabbed in his lap. “Drink.” He let out a whine in objection. “You cried _a lot_ today, Bug.” She grabbed it and opened it for him, taking the toy from his hand and replacing it with the bottle. 

“ _Coley_ -” 

“Nash, please?” He let out another whine, but complied, taking a couple drinks before screwing the cap back on. “Thank you.” She went to take it but he swatted at her hand, beginning to twist the cap on and off. She sighed, laying back against the pillows she was leaning back on and bumping up the volume on Bob Ross.

Because who _doesn’t_ love Bob Ross?

He handed the bottle to her after a few more seconds and she set it down, feeling his body relax back into her’s for the first time. She ran her fingers through the hair, pushing a kiss to his head. And within a couple of hours, the older redhead found herself succumbing to a soothing sleep. 

**January 12th, 2019 12:58 AM**

Hours passed the pair sleeping soundly cuddled up in front of the TV. It was the most relaxation either of them had been allowed that day and it felt almost too good to be true . . . which unfortunately became the case. 

Nicole felt the writhing before she heard the screams and cries for help. Her little brother went from slightly jerking his head back and forth on top of her to forcefully trying to dodge forces invisible to the awake. His little body shook erratically as cold sweat broke out on every inch of skin. 

The older one’s eyes shot open once her brain woke up just enough for her to process what was happening. “Nash,” she half-whispered, but her voice failed. “Nash.” She tried again. Again, it was no use. The boy was now in full swing panic whilst still fast asleep. She let out a few curses as she rolled him off of her and slid off the bed, feeling around on the lamp beside her to turn it on before smacking her hand on the nightstand a few times and grabbing her glasses. She turned his body a bit and kneeled next to him, placing her hand on his stomach as he continued to thrash around. She had learned that pinning him down often led to more problems, so she always tried to avoid doing it.

“Bug, you’re ok. Nothing’s there, I promise,” she said soothingly as she shook him gently, but the little one was still screaming. She knew there were other people trying to sleep in the rooms around them, so she really wanted him to wake up as soon as possible. “Nash, wake up. You’re safe, Buddy.” 

Thankfully, the little redhead’s movements started to soften, then stopped altogether as his big, brown eyes fluttered open to see his sister’s blurry face next to him. 

“Hey, Bud.” Nicole knew that shortly after every panic attack Nash had tears followed. She already had her arms extended for him to crawl into before the waterworks began. 

“I was back there, Co-Coley,” he said through quiet sobs, voice muffled by her shirt. 

“I know, Baby. I heard you say his name. But you’re safe now. And you’re never going back there. _Never_.” Her hand combed through his red hair lightly. 

“Promise?” 

“I promise.” The room fell silent with only the faint sound of Bob Ross painting happy little trees and his sniffles. Nicole knew Bug would need some time to calm himself down. “Hey,” she called for his attention softly, “How about we stay home from school tomorrow? We can watch Holes and eat waffles? How ‘bout that?” 

The little boy’s red eyes brightened as a dimpled smile crept onto his tear-stained cheeks. However, before he agreed to anything just yet, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Can we get more syrup for my waffles?” 

Nicole roll her eyes lightly. “Well, we _would_ have enough syrup for this entire week, but _someone_ insisted on double filling every hole . . .” The older one trailed off when she saw his small lip quiver as tears flooded his eyes once more. _Shit_. 

The little Haught was now squirming to get out of his sister’s embrace before she made fun of him even more. 

“Nash wait, stop! Buddy, I was joking!” He had managed push her arms away and ran to the other side of the kitchenette, going into ‘defense’ stance. It didn’t matter whether the abuse was physical or verbal, Nash still tensed his entire body in a protective stance to brace himself for whatever beating that was to come. 

It tore Nicole up inside. She knew that was what they liked to call his ‘battle stance’. It’s something she had taught him to do so he could obtain minimal damage physically, but the poor kid had started to do it whenever he was picked on. It was hard to explain to teachers why he did that without setting off red flags for investigation.

Putting her hands up in the air and slowly walking over, Nicole calmly spoke to her brother. “Nash, Baby, I’m sorry. It was a bad joke. I didn’t mean it.” 

The little boy hid behind the chair a little more. “Yes you did! You sound just like the kids at school!” He cried, wiping his face with his sleeves.

Kids picked on him, she took a note of that. “ _Bug_ ,” she began again softly, “You know you mean the world to me. I would never, _ever_ make fun of who you were. Now c’mere. I wanna give you a hug and say sorry.” She dropped to one knee to be on eye level with him. After what looked like a silent battle with himself in his head, Nash came out from behind the chair and dove back into her arms. “I’m sorry. That was mean. And don’t worry, when I go to work tomorrow night I’ll ask Vikki if I can get some extra syrup, okay?” 

“How much extra?” 

She chuckled lightly and resumed stroking a hand through his hair as she lifted him as she stood and carried him back to bed. “As much as you want.” She set him down and placed Olly on his stomach, setting her glasses down and flicking the light off as she climbed into bed herself. 

“Noo,” he whined softly. 

She looked towards him, cocking an eyebrow. “No, what?” She questioned. 

“I don’t wanna go back to sleep,” he mumbled, flipping towards her and hugging his lion tightly to his chest. 

“Wh-” She pursed her lips, rolling to her side. “You’ll be ok,” she said with a small smile. 

“Coley,” he whined. 

“Bug, it’s one in the morning,” she said with a small huff. “We need to go back to sleep. I’m not screwing up your sleep schedule again.” He let out another whine, scooting closer to her front until she wrapped her arm around him with a defeated sigh, rolling to her back and grabbing each of their glasses and the TV remote, dropping his on him and putting her’s on before turning the volume of Bob up. She turned her head and set the remote back down, seeing her phone screen light up in the process. She picked it up with a cocked eyebrow. 

**UNKNOWN: Hey. Sorry it’s late, but I was just wondering how Nash was. U never showed back up today and everyone was kinda worried.**

The redhead cocked an eyebrow at the text, but quickly put the pieces together with the next one that came through. 

**UNKNOWN: Oh, it’s Waverly, btw. I got ur # from Wy**

**Nicole Haught: He’s alright, just shaken up a bit. I’m staying home w him tmrw. I’ll work on the project a lil if I can**

**Waverly Earp: U mean today?**

**Nicole Haught: What**

**Waverly Earp: Its 1 AM...**

**Nicole Haught: Go to sleep 🙄**

**Waverly Earp: Lol. Night, Haught**

Nicole shook her head with a tiny smirk on her face, tossing her phone back up onto the nightstand. “Who was that?” Nash questioned. 

“Nobody,” she said with a sigh, feeling him tapping twenties into her stomach with his finger. 

**January 13th, 2019 7:57 AM**

Back from the day of peace, Nicole made her way through the halls, adding just another pair of shoes shuffling tiredly before AM announcements. She had just finished her lap around her classes to get her catch-up assignments from the day before, and now her hands were full. She needed her bag back. Before all the chaos that happened two days prior, she remembered she had told Waverly bring her stuff to the office so she could only assume that’s where it was. Now that she had her number, she could always check with the brunette beforehand too, but she decided against it as she was nearing the office anyway. 

The redhead carefully opened the office door and stepped inside. She never particularly cared for this place; something about the ‘admin’ part of all the schools she’s ever been to reminded her too much of the various wardens’ offices she’s been to. Of how many different old, condescending faces looked down at her from behind some old, wooden desk. And even though she always internally gags when she hears classmates say something along the lines comparing a school to a prison, in this particular case she would agree. 

“Goodmorning,” Nicole politely greeted the woman behind the desk that she had never met before. The woman, however, looked as though she was ready to dispute the fact that the morning was, in fact, good. 

“Can I help you?” The old lady asked with thick boredom. 

“My name’s Nicole Haught. I, uh, think my backpack and stuff is here somewhere.” 

“This isn’t the ‘Lost and Found’, that’s in the janitor's closet. Go find one to let you in check there.” 

_If only this lady knew how much I’ve_ checked _that janitor’s closet._ She blinked and cleared her throat slightly as she shook the sweetly haunting images of a darker brunette moaning her name into her shoulder on top of the workbench. “No, no. I was told my stuff was here. My, uh . . . friend brought it here when I had to leave the other day.” 

The boredom never left the ancient lady’s tone. “Friend?” She asked with a pathetic raised brow. 

“Yeah . . . Waverly.” 

“Earp?” The redhead nodded. The other woman now let out a bark of laughter for she was sure it was a joke. “Waverly Earp is _your_ friend? She asked incredulously. 

The taller girl exhaled sharply out of frustration. She just wanted to get her stupid bag and go find Wynonna to screw with before class. “Did she drop it off or not, Ma’am?” Her boldness made the other woman a little stunned. 

Motioning around the small, stuffy office, the older woman scowled. “Doesn’t look like your ‘friend’ dropped anything off for you, Natalie.” 

“Nicole.” 

“Sure. Have a good day.” 

_Right. It’ll be a_ super _day._ T he redhead thought as she rolled her eyes and exited the office. She _really_ needed to find her damn bag. 

Again, she contemplated texting the younger Earp to ask where she the hell she made off with it, but again, she was close enough to just ask in person. Rounding the corner, she had made her way to the hall where the cheerleader’s locker was, for she had to follow her there her first day a few times when she needed to switch out her books. Looking down to check the time on her phone, which read 8:02, she figured that she would be just in time for Waverly to be getting the first round of books she needed for class. 

Nicole was absolutely fine walking up the hallway and she was absolutely fine knowing she was going to find Waverly.

Well.

She _was_ fine until a certain passionate moment in the locker room a couple days prior flashed into her mind. A sudden breath crept from her throat down to her heart which sent it racing and made her palms clammy. She really couldn’t tell you why. 

She also couldn’t tell you why that despite her body going into what felt like fight or flight mode, a small smile slid its way onto her face. She could even swear she felt the slightest of dimples peaking out for an appearance. But again, she couldn’t tell you why that was. 

Which is why she couldn’t tell you why all of her emotions stopped cold when she was about six or seven lockers away. And why the seconds felt like hours until she could get her brain to tell her body to move or even say something. When she finally did get her act together and went to speak, she wished she hadn’t.

The locker door swung shut revealing the shorter girl with all her necessary books tucked under her arms and across her chest firmly, but she wasn’t alone. No, instead of her bag caressing her _probably_ toned back it was a disturbingly large, boy-man shaped growth who was slobbering gross bite kisses all down the girl’s neck and doing a motion that Nicole could only describe as ‘a small dog humping a big dog in heat’ because even though he was a foot taller than Waverly, he still deserved a small dog comparison for the awkward, sad thrusting performance he was displaying. Nicole was sure she did better during _her_ _first time_. 

That flighty feeling of rapid heartbeats behind her ribcage disappeared as a weight felt like it dropped from her chest to the pit of her stomach. The heart-shaped crater in her chest felt cold, and it sent chilled blood throughout her entire body. Her eyes had faded from warm and hopeful to cold, cruel, and hard. Despite all the crazy things Nicole had been a part of in her life, she had never been shot, but she was sure the searing pain she felt in her entire torso hurt more than any bullet could. And she didn’t know why. 

It only took a moment for the brunette to recognize the figure that appeared beside her and her face now changing to don a look not too short of a glare. She wanted to say something. Anything. She wanted to push her slobbering idiot boyfriend off of her and ask the redhead how her little brother was. She wanted to do so much. And she thought she might still have a chance to when she saw the girl’s eyes change before her once again. They came back from harsh to full, not necessarily warm like the were before, but full of something else the brunette couldn’t quite place. 

It wasn’t too long until she thought she figured it out though. 

With one quick, smooth motion, Nicole reached down to grab the hand of Poppy who happened to be walking by, and turned her to face her. Not even giving Poppy time to smile or say anything in the way of a greeting, the taller girl wasted no time in spinning them around with their lips connected, letting the shorter girl’s back hit the lockers behind them. She let out a surprised groan, feeling her body press right up against her like it had earlier that week. Nicole’s hand slid down every curve of her body, framing her hip with one hand as the other moved to the side of her neck with a gentle, but _definitely there_ grip.

Waverly could only describe how she was feeling as rage because God _knows_ she didn’t want to think about it as jealousy. Because, after all, why would she be jealous? It didn’t stop her from squaring and clenching her jaw and balling her fists still clutching the sides to her books, though. She didn’t even notice her fingers go white with the pressure she was pushing on the books. 

She couldn’t stand there and watch the redhead and her friend eat each other’s faces anymore, so she left that task to Champ, who had stopped humping her and had started drooling in a trance over the two women before him. “Sweet! Dyke action in the morning? Man, today is gonna _own_!” The boy-man said to no one in particular because he knew damn well his girlfriend stopped paying attention to him a while ago. 

Waverly took that time to open her locker back up, grab Nicole’s stuff she had still been safely keeping there, and storm off after slamming her locker door shut once more. 

The sound of the bang only caught Nicole’s attention for a moment as she pulled away from Poppy’s lips and looked in the other brunette’s direction. No one would see it, and she wouldn’t acknowledge it, but the tiniest hint of sadness snuck it’s way into her big, brown eyes that followed Waverly down the hall. That twinge, however, dissolved when wandering orbs caught sight of their only remaining audience member. Champs sleazy smile reeked of grime and gross thoughts and, frankly, Nicole had less than the normal patience she had for him daily, which was always none. She smirked to herself after she saw him practically yelp and run away after she had given him one of her signature ‘Angry Haught Faces’. Satisfied with no more interruptions, the redhead sank back into the other girl's hungry lips and tried desperately to get the thoughts of the _other_ brunette cheerleader out of her head. 

Waverly stomped down the hall with a pissed off look on her face that made everyone around her clear a path. She swung a couple of corners before finally seeing her sister at the end of the hall by her locker.

By the sound of her footsteps, Wynonna heard her approach. “Hey, Babygirl- What?” She questioned after noticing the look on her face.

The smaller girl shoved her handful of Nicole’s things into her arms. “Go give your _shitty_ friend her _shitty shit_ back and tell her that my hallway isn’t her personal _sex dungeon_!” 

The senior’s eyes widened, blinking at her dumbly a few times. “Uh . . . Ook,” she mumbled, looking down at the pile in her arms. She never saw Nicole as one to _get it on_ in the halls. Waverly let out an annoyed groan, turning away and stomping back down the hall. 

Wynonna kicked her locker closed and shrugged her own backpack higher up onto her shoulder as she headed off in the direction of Waverly’s locker, figuring that’s what she meant by _her hallway_. 

And lo and behold, there was Nicole with her hand down the back of the cheerleader’s jeans, tongue workings its way skillfully down her throat. 

“AYEYO, HAUGHT SHIT! ROUND TWO, HUH?!” She shouted with a laugh as she approached the duo. 

The sound of the new onlooker’s cheers startled the smaller girl but had not so much as phased the taller one. But, ever the gentlewoman, Nicole departed her lips from Poppy’s and leaned back with the world’s cockiest smile. Now, although Poppy was a girl down for a little too much PDA and a quickie in the janitor’s closet, she wasn’t into having an actively watching audience. So with a sultry smile and a sexy little wink, she untangled herself from the redhead to start off to her morning class. 

“We’ll continue this later,” Nicole husked surely and threw her a wink of her own. That wasn’t a question, both girls knew that, and the dominance made Poppy go weak in the knees. After watching the girl disappear from the hall and rousing the corner, Nicole turned back to face her friend as she proudly leaned back onto the lockers with her arms crossed. “Dammit, Earp, I almost got a quickie.” Both girls laughed like middle school boys before the brunette shoved the bag and her other belongings towards the redhead. 

“Here, Hefner. I was told to give you your _shitty_ shit back,” Wynonna paused for just a moment with a wiggle of her eyebrows, “and to tell you that the hall isn’t your _sex dungeon_.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes so hard she feared they’d get stuck behind their sockets for a moment. “Let me guess, wise words quoted by your younger sister?” 

“Ding ding ding! She’s smart AND a ladies’ girl, the whole package I’d say.” 

The taller girl pushed off the lockers with a bored sigh as they both started to walk very slowly in the direction of the classrooms. “Yeah well did Perfect Little Angel _also_ tell you Champ was _basically_ going to third base with her first? It was impressive actually, the fact that he got that far being as he seemed like the only active participant.” 

It was Wynonna’s turn to sigh, but this time it was out of aggravation and a hint of lust for homicide. “God I hate that chum bucket of trash.” 

“Careful now,” Nicole teased, “that could very well be your future brother-in-law.” 

“Do you want me to kick your ass too, Haught?” The question was only answered by a snort of laughter and a small chuckle following.

“You could never.” 

“Just try it, Kid.” They fell silent for a beat as they strolled through the halls. “Hey, Red. How’s Little Dude doing, is he okay?” 

Nicole couldn’t help but feel a small swell in her chest when she heard Wynonna’s nickname for her baby brother. He loved when she called him that. So much, in fact, that she’s the only one who can call him that. He makes sure to let everyone know it’s off-limits. “He’s okay. Better than he was.” 

“What happened?” 

“They saw the bruises and scars. Accidentally . . . I guess his shirt rode up or something. Should’ve known something like that was bound to happen, the kid’s outgrowing all the clothes I can manage to get him.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. The last thing she wanted to do was to let the brunette know of her financial struggles because she knew she would _never_ leave her alone about it. Nicole didn’t want handouts, that’s not how she got this far, and that’s _not_ how she was about to start getting by. 

Unfortunately, not much got past Wynonna. She cocked a brow and shot her a look, “What, are you buying him Gucci or something?” 

“Nah,” Nicole quipped to change the subject, “Beige, red, and green aren’t really his colors.” 

“His eyes are green though . . .” 

“Hey, do you have the time on you?” The taller girl made one last attempt at avoiding this conversation before just straight up bailing on her friend. 

She was too late for her luck, unfortunately, because Wynonna had already caught on to the trick. She looked down at the other girl’s hand with her phone and tapped the screen to wake it up. “Yeah. It’s right there.” The brunette's tone was accusing before she even uttered an accusation. However, she knew it was coming. “Well, I’m glad he’s doing okay. I wanna see him, check up on him and teach him how to pick a lock or something. You know, bonding activities with the young.” The pair had stopped now for they were mere feet from Nicole’s first class. Stuffing her fists into her worn leather pockets, the shorter girl continued, “So whattaya say, Haught Pocket, what time should I come over and visit tonight?” Not a soul in the world could truthfully claim that Wynonna Earp wasn’t a forward girl. 

“Uh, I can’t today, Wy. Sorry. Plus Nash is like super sick. You know how sometimes you stress your body out so much that you just get sick? That’s what’s going on with him, so he’s on bed rest for the rest of the week. But I’ll tell him you love and miss him, I’m sure he’ll be really happy to hear auntie Wy says hi.” Nicole couldn’t remember the last time she word-vomited that badly. And it was all for naught because she knew the brunette would _never_ have bought that in a million years. 

Not wanting to press further in the moment, the older girl just nodded her head with a faux-understanding as she narrowed her eyes. Then, with the best faked enthusiasm, she slapped her friend’s arm and smiled widely, “Alright, Haughty. Some other time then. Tell Little Dude I said sup.” She ended her sentence, popping the ‘p’. 

Nicole nodded, promising to do so before making an awkward goodbye, and practically running into her classroom. This left the leather-clad senior alone in the hall, still brewing in suspicion of her best friend. After giving a few moments of thought, she pulled her phone out and dialed one of her contacts on speed dial. She shoved it to her ear and waited through the rings for it to be picked up. 

Still staring at the classroom door that both her sister and best friend disappeared into, she heard the sound of the phone line going live.“Hey, Cowboy. I gotta favor to ask.” She rolled her eyes and smirked at the muffled reply on the other line. “No, not _that_ kind of favor . . . _well_ , maybe later.” 

**8:15 AM**

“Alright, guys, get started!” Mr. Phlo said with a clap of his hands. 

The sound of moving desks filled the room and Waverly let out a sigh, slowly moving over towards the redhead. She was dreading the next 45 minutes. 

They sat in deafening silence despite the humming of groups in conversation surrounding them. The only noise between the two were the clicks of their keyboards or the occasional defensive sigh. Glances towards one another were so desperately tried to be hidden but did not go unnoticed to each other. 

Nicole let out a rather large huff, “How the fuck do you add the transitions?” She grumbled, more to herself than the brunette, as she poked around on the slide she was making.

Waverly looked over towards her, seeing her struggle. And the annoying noise of her finger smacking against her touchpad was enough to drive her to do something about it. She grabbed the redhead’s hand and moved it out of the way, turning her screen towards her and fixing her issue with a simple right-click. “ _There_.” 

Nicole huffed, shaking her hand out of her grasp and turning her computer back towards her. “Don’t _grab_ me, I’m not a toddler, thank you.”

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn't realize you had a _problem_ with being grabbed after seeing your little show this morning.” 

“ _Wow_. This coming from Champ Dracula’s latest meal!” 

“Screw you, Nicole.” 

“Mmmm, sorry, Sunshine. Poppy’s already got the job. You could always apply later when I’m accepting applicants, though.” The redhead pouted at the other girl with an overly fake sympathetic tone. 

Waverly looked towards her, jaw slighting unhinged. She quickly righted it, settling with a hitch of her lip. “I have a boyfriend, _remember_?” 

It was Nicole’s turn to look towards her. She raised her eyebrows slightly. “Oh yea? Well, _you_ didn’t seem to _remember_ that when you were gettin’ all _Frosty_ with me the other day, now did ya?” She watched her face tighten. “ _In fact_ , if _I_ am _remembering_ correctly, you didn’t _want_ me to bring him up.” 

“Ladies, how are we doing over here?” The heated conversation the two were having was abruptly interrupted by Mr. Phlo as he came around to every group to check on their progress. He clapped his hands together again for whatever reason before looking between both of them a couple of times expectantly. 

Though Waverly would never _ever_ admit it, she was so glad he came to interrupt, for her pride was on the line if she lost that argument with the junior. “We’re doing great, Mr. Phlo! Right, Nicole?” The brunette shot daggers to the other girl, daggers that were fired right back at her in tenfold. 

“Just _gold_ , Teach.” Nicole kept her glare on the sophomore whole she addressed the teacher; her answer wasn’t for him and she wanted to make sure Waverly knew that. 

The teacher weirdly clapped _again_ before throwing on an equally as weird smile, “Perfect. ‘Stay Gold’, girls!” Now both girls cast him a weird side glance as he waltzed on over to the next group. 

The two fell silent again and each went back to their respective screens before Waverly jerked her head up to the noise of the redhead let out a big snort and half-muffled laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” She knitted her brows defensively. 

“It’s just, uh,” Nicole glances her over real quick before deciding to share anyway, “just look.” She pointed her phone screen towards the younger girls face so only she could see it from that angle. On it was an old fashioned monkey toy dressed in a band uniform, playing the cymbals. It was one of those wind-up toys where when you twisted the key in the back, the monkey would start to actually bang the instrument together and make sound. But, the funny part of it was in big, bold, black, font that simply said, “PHLO BE LIKE.” 

Not even waiting for the other girl to find it funny, Nicole once again began her fit of laughter. And to her wonderful surprise, Waverly had ended up joining her. 

“Oh my God!” The brunette said in between breathy chuckles 

“The mans always clapping!”

“For no reason!”

The redhead nodded her head in agreement, “None at all!” 

“I seriously can’t believe you just made a fucking meme of our teacher, Haught.” 

“I’m sorry, girls, I didn’t know drugs could be so entertaining!” Monkey-Cymbal teacher scolded from across the room. This caused both girls to stifle their amusement and mutter small apologies as they kept chuckling lightly. 

“Oh man, he’s got no idea.” 

The older girl didn’t notice, but she wasn’t joined by the younger one in laughing at her last joke. Instead, when she looked over to her for agreement, she was only met with a now hard stare and a pencil-thin frown. All she did was sigh as she let her own face fall. She didn’t quite know what she did this time but she was sure she was gonna find out where she wanted to or not. 

“That’s not funny, Nicole.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes really. You of _all_ people should know how not funny those things are.” For the hundredth time today, the taller one was seriously worried her brown orbs were going to get stuck behind her sockets from rolling her eyes that hard. 

“My god, really, Waverly? Again?” She matched the huff and arms crossed pose in front of her as she let out a bitter scoff. “Huh, I guess good old Bobby was right. Nothing gold _can_ stay.” 

And just like that, silence returned between them while the rest of the class was wrapped in low, productive chatter. 

**3:17 PM**

Doc took a long draw off of his cigarette, watching the black car sit in the grade school’s parking lot, seeing the smaller Haught dashing towards it and climbing in. He flicked his ashes out the window as he put his car in drive, leaving a good amount of space between them as he tailed them. 

He wasn’t quite sure where Nicole was headed, but it all fell together when he saw the McDonald’s sign approaching in the distance. He let out a sigh as she turned in and he watched her and the little one climb out. He pulled into the lot and drove around the building, taking a trip through the drive-thru. 

He figured he was going to be sitting there for a while and a man’s gotta eat. 

He pulled away and parked in the liquor store’s parking lot that was just across the street, turning his tunes up as he pulled his Happy Meal toy out with a small smile. He set the little Thomas the Train toy on his dash and pulled his phone out of his pocket, pressing it against his ear as he leaned his seat back and stretched his legs out, popping a chicken nugget in his mouth. 

“Hello, Darlin’,” he answered when the line picked up. “. . . Unfortunately not. That’s why I’ve called you actually. Nicole seems to have work tonight.” He paused as he listened to the older Earp grumble complaints into his ear. “I can stay here if you’d like?” He nodded along, taking a sip of his chocolate milk. A small smirk pushed onto his face. “Well. I _suppose_ I could hold some company at the time being . . . _Only_ an hour?” You could hear the pout in his voice after hearing she had practice that night. But it was just as quickly replaced with another smirk. “Oh, I’m sure it’ll be _plenty_ of time, don’t you fret.” He continued to nod along, crossing his ankles. “Rest assured, I’ll have ya nice and warmed up . . . Uh huh . . . Alright, I’ll be here.” He pulled the phone away from his face and let out a sigh, “Well I do believe this stakeout will be _quite_ a feast.” 

**10:07 PM**

John Henry let out a yawn, resting his head on his arm as he blinked tiredly at the front door. His blues opened right up, though, seeing the two redheads walk out of the front door. He shook the tired off of his face and moved his food trash off of his lap before starting his car and fixing his seat. 

Nicole pulled out of the parking lot and he waited a second before turning out behind her. He watched as they passed house after house, subdivision after subdivision, yet she ceased to turn into one. 

His brow arched as he finally saw her blinker pop on and his eyes traced the signs around him, face falling slightly as he realized _just_ where she happened to be going. He let out a sigh and took a slow drive around the block before turning into the lot himself and waiting in his car until he watched them get through the door of the motel. 

He climbed out and made his way in slowly, checking the window on the front door until they were making their way around the corner. He entered and walked over towards where they had turned, peeking his head around just to see Nicole unlock the last door on the right and hold it open as Nash entered. 

Oh, how he hated when Wynonna was right. She knew something fishy had been going on. But before he went and spilled the beans, he needed to make sure that he was not mistaken. After the man slapped on his usual bravado, he strolled up to the front counter, giving the woman behind it a charming smile as he removed his hat. 

“How can I help ya tonight, Hun?” She questioned as she returned a tired smile of her own. 

“Well, it seems that lovely redhead that just passed through here struck my fancy,” he drawled. “I’d take it she’s staying here?” 

The woman cocked a brow but nodded. “She is, yes. Got the room booked for this whole month, her and that little one.”

“Has she now?” He asked, resting his crossed arms on the countertop. She gave him a nod. “Hmm. D’you think there’s any way I could wager her number off of ya?” He questioned with a grin. 

She looked up at him with pursed lips. “Dear, a girl like her doesn’t seem to be the one interested in a relationship right now. She’s taking care of that little boy all on her own and is working two jobs just to keep this roof over his head.”

His demeanor shifted, for he did feel bad for the girl and her situation really. “That’s quite a shame,” he said quietly, standing up straight and placing his hat back on. 

“I can’t give you her number, but I can try and give her yours if you really want me to?” 

He shook his head, “No, no. You’re right. She’s got a mighty full plate as it is. Thank you, though.” The counter clerk gave him a smile and he gave a tip of his hat as he turned away, heading back outside to his car and pushing his phone to his ear once again. “I think I’ve got something that may be of interest to you, Sweetheart,” he said when it picked up. “-Well, I _am_ always up for round two, but that’s not quite it . . . I seem to have found a _certain pair’s_ residence.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scheduling should be back to normal next Tuesday  
> Prolly mistakes, busy day, y'know


	7. Like It or Lump It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna's up to some shenanigans 
> 
> but so is Waverly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Monkey:  
> Hey, y'all! It's New Year's Eve! And what better way to bring in the New Year than with some ANGST  
> Enjoy, my dudes! ;)  
> ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
> Happy New Year! (Almost)   
> Enjoy cause this shit is finally picking up!  
> If you think it's been a trip so far, just fucking wait ;)  
> \- Schnookums out

**January 14th, 2019 12:51 AM**

Nicole leaned back on the hood of her car with her hands shoved in her leather jacket pockets. She was waiting for the older Earp to meet her outside Shorty’s.

_ "C’mon, Earp."  _ The redhead couldn’t help but nervously check her phone every couple of seconds. This was the only time she would be able to do anything without having work or worrying about Nash. She couldn’t thank Vikki enough for babysitting. She still was going to pay her boss, no matter how many times the older woman had threatened to put her strictly on bathroom duty if she so much as offered her a penny. Having the older woman in her life felt warm, like what she imagined having a mom, or an aunt, or even a grandma, would be like. It was bittersweet knowing she wouldn’t have any of those for real.

She was only ripped out her thoughts when she saw two figures appear out of the darkness into the dim streetlamp light.

Okay,  _ maybe  _ she should’ve specified which Earp she wished would appear because this one was  _ definitely  _ not the one she expected nor really wanted. Thankfully, she was far enough away from the street lights that her identity was safe from the pair of loud, slightly staggering people getting closer. It was now clear it was Waverly and Chump Truck. 

The taller girl checked her phone for the time again and scoffed in disbelief. It was almost 1 AM on a _weeknight_ , and there was _no_ _way_ the youngest Earp would be allowed out, even more so not allowed with her dumb meathead of a boyfriend. A slightly devilish, incredulous expression etched itself onto Nicole’s face as the realization hit: Waverly ‘Goody Two Shoes’ Earp had snuck out of her house and was up to no good. This opportunity was just _too good_ to pass up. 

She stayed in the shadows until the couple  _ just _ passed her, and she was so thankful the younger girl was being distracted by Handsy McGrope and did not recognize her shitty, beaten up car. This was her cue. 

She stepped out of the shadows with a voice dripping with smugness, “You better hurry up there, Earp. Your sister will be here any minute.” She smirked, quite pleased when she successfully got the couple’s attention. But that smirk quickly faltered when she saw a rebellious look plastered on the youngest Earp’s face instead of the expected scared one. She continued anyway, “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed now? Or studying?” Her eyes widened with delight. “Ooo, do Gus and Curtis know their precious  _ good girl _ is out with Chump here?”

“It’s Champ!” The boy-man defended. 

“Quiet, Chimp,” she retorted. She had  _ no _ time for the man child right now.

Waverly was a completely different person in this moment. With the same wickedly proud look, she walked with a strut until she was face to face with Nicole, tipping her head down before letting her hands rest on the front parts of her shoulders. The redhead didn’t believe her nose at first, but after she spoke, there was no doubt. Waverly Earp had been drinking. “Good girl, aye? Is that what you thought?” Nicole nodded with an almost inaudible, yet snarky ‘yeah’, to which Waverly mirrored boldly. “You can forget that then. Cause you know . . .” She took the chance and leaned in closer, husking lowly, “Good girls are just bad girls that haven’t been caught.” 

_ Fuck.  _

Waverly had the upper hand here. Both girls knew it. Even Champ probably knew it, but honestly with that boy’s IQ, it was seriously debatable as to what he knew at all. 

The taller girl hid the gulp, for her mouth suddenly felt dry. The shorter girl just chuckled seductively and backed away. “So you just turn around and forget what you saw, Nicole,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way back to her meatheaded boyfriend and finished with a devilish wink, “ _ Cause good girls are just bad girls who haven’t been caught _ .” 

**January 14th, 2019 1:30 PM**

“Alright, Little Man,” Nicole said through some slight breaths, “You ready to get goin’? I need a shower after all of that.” Though the redhead was in pretty great physical shape, she was still no match for Nash, who seemed to always be running on fully-charged Energizer Bunny batteries. And more so since they only had to sit through a half-day at school.

“Awh, c’mon, Coley! One more shot?” Damn that puppy dog face he knew worked so well on the older Haught. 

With a roll of her eyes, she crossed her arms with a smile, “Fine. Only one though, okay?” 

The little boy broke out his classic gleeful grin as he turned and dribbled the basketball back over to the free-throw line painted onto the blacktop, getting into his ‘ready to shoot’ stance. He let his tongue poke through his lips slightly as he focused fully on the net in front of him. Nicole watched her baby brother let out what she could only describe as a warcry as he leaped with all his might to throw the ball towards the net. She watched the ball soar until it  _ actually _ did hit the backboard and fall into the old net hanging below it. 

“Woo-hoo!” The little redhead jumped up in victory and let his arms flail above him. 

“Great Job, Nash!” The older one dropped down to her knee and gave him a fist bump. 

Looking mighty pleased with himself, Nash then crossed his arms triumphantly and donned a smug smile. “I know,” he gloated. 

Nicole chuckled as she ruffled his hair a little bit. “Alright, Steph Curry,” she huffed as she stood up, “Go and grab the ball now, we gotta get going.” The little boy beamed at his little nickname as he took off to retrieve the ball, then pedaling back to the car and climbing in to head back. 

“You want one of those little pizza thingy’s for lunch?” Nicole asked as she pulled the front door of the motel open. 

“Uh-huh,” Nash agreed. “No wait, can I have-”

“ _No_ , you cannot have waffles,” she grumbled as she fished her keys out of her pocket. 

“Why?!” He whined, furrowing his brow tightly up at her. 

“ _ Because _ . Those are for  _ breakfast _ .” She shoved the key in the doorknob and twisted it to unlock it, pushing the door open and letting her brother in. “You’re getting a pizza thing wheth-”

“Hi, Nonna!” Nash squealed, running and jumping onto the bed. Nicole’s head snapped up from putting her keys back, face going white at the sight of her friend chilling out on their bed. 

“Hey, Nashbrown!” The brunette laughed. “Sorry, I just ate your last Eggo . . .” She looked down at the plate in her hand that once held  _ four _ Eggos, for they had taken a  _ little  _ bit longer to get back than she thought they would have. She looked from it up to Nicole, who was still standing at the door, mouth slightly opened as she stared at her. “Hiya, there, Haught Pocket,” she said, voice a little flatter than it had been when she was talking to the younger one. She set the plate down and swung her legs off the side of the bed, standing up and walking towards her with her hands shoved into her pockets. “Nice  _ house  _ you got here.” 

That seemed to pull Nicole out of shock, for her mouth closed and her jaw clenched as she marched towards her. “How the  _ fuck _ did you find out about this, Earp?” She questioned through her teeth, voice almost in a whisper to spare her brother. 

“Well, that little  _ show _ you put on before first period yesterday is mostly to blame, if I’m honest,” she said with a little shrug, raising her eyebrows.

“That’s not what I asked.” 

“Well, that’s what I answered.” 

“ _ Earp _ !” The redhead was forgetting whispering as she started to raise her voice. “Did you  _ tail  _ me!?” 

“ _ Haught _ !” The older girl mocked back, also slightly raising her voice. “Technically  _ I _ didn’t.” She let out a two-noted whistle towards the door. 

“What does tha-”

“COLEY, LOOK! IT’S A COWBOY!” Nash flew off the bed towards the door when he saw a tall man donning a tweed, long coat, and a brimmed hat step through it. The anonymous cowboy smirked through a thick mustache as the young boy ran up to him. 

Nicole snapped her head towards the door where her little brother ran off to and met the bright blue eyes looking back at her. He nodded in a silent greeting knowing that the situation was quite volatile as it is. She looked back to Wynonna, snarl even angrier than before. “Oh, sorry. You had your  _ Western boy toy _ tail me!? Why?!”

“ _ Boy toy _ ?” The two males questioned at the same time, Nash more confused and Doc more offended. 

“Like a Happy Meal toy?” The younger one questioned, looking up at the cowboy with wide eyes. 

Wynonna threw him a warning look and he grinned down at the child as he whipped the Thomas he had gotten the day before out of his pocket. “Would you like to have a go with this here train?”

“Yea,” he breathed out with a grin.

Doc smiled, opening the door and swinging his arm out in front of him. Nash furrowed his brows and looked back at his sister, but he was reassured when she nodded. He let out a giggle, zooming out the door with a happy John Henry on his tail. 

As soon as the door closed softly, the friends went toe to toe once more. Nicole crossed her arms as the older girl blew a raspberry with bored eyes.  “ _ What the fuck _ , Wynonna!?” 

“No,  _ you _ what the fuck, Nicole! I am your  _ best friend _ . Why the  _ fuck  _ would you lie to me about where you’re staying?!” 

“Really?  _ REALLY _ ! You’re gonna blame me?  _ YOU  _ are the one who broke in! Am I just supposed to sniffle and say ‘ _ You’re right. I’m sorry Wynonna, thank you for breaking and entering  _ and making me feel like  _ shit  _ about the only place I can  _ afford  _ to put a roof over my  _ baby brother’s head _ ’? HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY  _ NUTS  _ SINCE I’VE BEEN GONE?!”

The brunette cocked her head to the side with a chillingly calm motion in spite of her enraged eyes. “No, but maybe some  _ remorse  _ for keeping your  _ very important _ whereabouts from the  _ one  _ person who gives a _shit_ about you would be fucking nice!” 

“Did I hit my head or something? Because what the  _ fuck  _ kind of an apology is that!?” 

She was met with a single eyebrow raise and a snarky scoff, “It’s not. And you  _ haven’t  _ hit your head- Well, not yet. Cause if you keep acting like I’m your  _ enemy  _ or something, I just  _ might  _ have to hit it for you!” 

The taller girl paused. With her jaw still clenched, she let her face soften slightly and looked down. She hadn’t meant to make her friend feel shut out. “Fuck,” she mumbled, still looking elsewhere. 

Wynonna shifted on her feet a little. “I know you like to be a lone wolf and all, but Dude.” Nicole raised her eyes back to her. “You could have avoided  _ all _ of this if you would have just  _ told  _ me.” 

She clenched her jaw, crossing her arms as if she needed any more of a barrier between the walls she had built up between them. “I wanted to do it, Wy.” 

“Yea, but-”

“No, Wynonna. Ok.  _ I  _ wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of being an _adult_ on my own.”

“Nicole, you are  _ 17 _ , remember?” Wynonna said, widening her eyes at her. “You’re not an  _ adult _ . It shouldn’t be your job to take care of him on your own.” Nicole tipped her head, her glare hardening. The brunette let out a scoff, “Will you stop? Getting help is not going to hurt your fucking ego  _ that  _ bad.”

“Earp, I don-”

“Open your closet.” 

“What?” Nicole questioned, cocking an eyebrow. 

“ _ Open your closet _ ,” she repeated, louder and slower. 

Nicole stared at her for a few more seconds, but then turned and walked over to it, pulling the door open to see both of their bags packed. “Dude, what the  _ fuck _ ?!” 

“C’mon.” 

“What do you mean  _ c’mon _ !? I paid _$600_ for this room, I’m not going  _ anywhere _ .” 

Wynonna reached into her back pocket and pulled out a handful of bills. “And you are getting $250 back. Now let’s  _ go _ , Haught. Get the rest of your crap together.” 

“Go  _ where _ , Wynonna!?” Nicole demanded, throwing her arms out. 

“The  _ Homestead _ , you _fuckhead_!” 

“ _ What _ ?!”

They both turned their heads at the sound of the door to the room swinging open. “Coley, Cowboy Doc said we’re going to the Homestead!” He ran over to her and wiggled her arm. “Can we go? _Please_? He said Gus is making dinner!” 

She darted her eyes to Wynonna and she tipped her head at her with a look. Nicole sighed, dropping down to her knee and looking up at the brunette. She got the hint and walked over to the kitchenette, opening their mini-fridge. The older redhead cupped his cheeks for a second before sliding them down to his shoulders with a squeeze. “How would you feel if we went and stayed over there, huh?” 

“Stayed the night?” He asked with a big smile.

She let out a small laugh but shook her head, “No, Bug. I mean stayed over there for a while. Like how you were staying there when I went away?” 

His brow quickly furrowed. “You’re leaving again?”

Her eyes popped out and she shook her head quickly. “No, no. We’re  _ both  _ gonna go stay over there. I’m not going anywhere, Bug. I promise.” It only took a moment for the words to sink into the little boy's head as his grin returned, this time even bigger than before. 

“Woo-hoo!” He threw his arms up like just as he did earlier and ran back over towards Doc. “Let’s go, Doc! Let’s play Cowboy!” 

“Woah slow down there, partner. You gotta get your bags now. No cowboy leaves his tighty whities behind.” The little boy giggled before  _ of course _ listening to the coolest person in the room. 

Nicole pushed herself up off of the floor and slid her hands into her pockets with a sigh, looking up at her best friend, “You still have to help. Don’t think you’re off the hook.” Wynonna smiled, shoving a handful of Cheez-Its in her mouth. 

Nicole pulled into the Homestead’s driveway behind Wynonna and traced her eyes around. She had never actually been there before, but she had heard a lot about it, so it was nice to be able to put a picture to what she had heard so much about over the past couple years. She pulled over to the side and put it in park with a sigh. 

“Welcome Home, Haughty!” Hollered the brunette as she climbed out of her truck. “Mi Casa, tu casa, or whatever.” 

The redhead smiled at that. She really did miss her goofy ass friend. “Are you sure Gus and Curtis are fine with this, Wy. I don’t wanna be-”

“Yes, Shithead. Jeez. Now, c’mon. You can get your stuff later.” She grabbed onto the junior’s arm and dragged her along up to the front door, Nash following close behind. “GUS, WE’RE BACK!” Wynonna screamed, deafening anyone within three feet of her. 

“In the kitchen!” She heard called back at a much lower level, for the room was not that far away from them. 

Nicole snaked her arm back from Wynonna when she tried to drag her again, opting to walk beside her like a normal human. They entered and Nicole’s eyes fell upon a shorter, grey-haired woman standing at the sink. She turned at the sound of them entering, eyes immediately meeting Nicole’s. She leaned back on the counter and crossed her flannel-cuffed arms in front of her, a small smile on her lips. “So you’re the one this one can’t shut up about?” 

Nicole raised her eyebrows as she looked towards Wynonna, who was throwing her aunt a death glare. “Aww, you fangirl over me, Earp?” She cooed, pinching her cheek. 

“ _ No _ ,” she huffed, smacking her hand away. 

Gus let out a chuckle as she pushed off the counter, walking over to the trio, for Doc had made himself busy unloading their things from Nicole’s car. “Well,  _ Haught Pocket _ .” Nicole blushed, smiling softly at the nickname. “Welcome home.” 

The redhead hadn’t expected to be pulled into a hug, but she most definitely was. And if she was honest, she couldn’t remember the last time she was hugged by anyone besides Wynonna or Nash. It took her a second, but she reciprocated it a little looser than the woman, giving her shoulder a pat after a few moments for release. She let her go but stayed in front of her as she looked her over for a few moments, eyes drifting to her hand. She lifted it, looking over the lion. “That’s a piece of work you got there, Girl,” she mused, looking up to meet her eyes. 

“There’s more where that came from,” Wynonna mumbled, rocking on her feet. 

They both ignored her, and Gus spoke again, “When’d ya get it?” 

Nicole furrowed her brow, looking down at her brother. “You’re 6th birthday?” She questioned, not quite remembering how long ago it had been. 

“Ya,” he said with a nod, for he remembered it vividly because it was the best gift he had  _ ever  _ gotten. 

She looked back up at her with a shrug, “So the October before last.” 

Gus nodded with a smile, turning her hand slightly and seeing the smiley face on her pinky. She shook her head with a small laugh, dropping her arm back to her side and turning her attention to the little boy that she had fallen in love with the first time she had laid eyes on the red mop on his head. “How’re you, Youngin’?” 

“Good,” he answered with a smile. 

“See, if your sister, here, wasn’t  _ 15 feet  _ tall, I’d think you were twins.” 

“She is  _ not  _ that tall,” he said with a laugh. 

Wynonna walked in front of Nicole and stood straight up, leveling her hand on the top of her head and bringing it forward, knocking Nicole on the bridge of her glasses. “Well, I’m 14’9, so I’d say she’s about right.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes, pushing her back a bit. “ _ Hilarious _ .” She walked over and leaned back on the counter as Gus had been, watching as her and her brother got reacquainted with one another. She let her eyes wander around the small kitchen, taking in the worn but fitting kitchen table, the white fridge, the pictures stuck on it with magnets. 

_ The pictures stuck on it with magnets _ . 

Her eyes widened as she quickly walked over to it and pushed her fingers against a specific one to flatten it completely. Her hand came to her face and she slid it down to her chin as she recognized the little girl in the picture that was sitting on a hay bale. 

_ Waverly _ . 

_ Wynonna  _ was not the only Earp that lived at the  _ Earp  _ Homestead. No. There was also  _ Waverly  _ Earp. And how she hadn’t given a thought to her when she agreed to move in, she didn’t know. Oh, but she wished she did. 

“You ok there, Red Haught?” Wynonna questioned. 

She turned around, raising her eyebrows. “I’m great,” she assured with a smile. “You wanna go bring our stuff in now?” 

The three reached the top of the steps, each toting a bag. “Ok, so y’all are gonna share, uh, Willa’s old room. Cool?” 

Nicole furrowed her brows a bit. “Are you sure, Earp?” She asked slowly. 

“Hella. Let’s get unpackin’.” She walked down the hall a bit. “That’s my room.” She pointed to the first door on the left. “That’s Waves room.” She pointed to the first door on the right. “And that makes  _ this _ your room.” Nicole pursed her lips a bit, seeing that their new room was  _ right _ next to the sophomores.  _ Fantastic. _ Wynonna pushed the door open with her foot, letting them both in first. 

Nicole traced her eyes around. It looked like it had recently been cleaned, judging by the light smell of Lysol and the lack of dust considering it had been a vacant room. It was also basically empty. There was a dresser, a closet, a full-size bed with a nightstand, and a desk, but that was it. “We’ve only got one bed, but I figured you guys will be fine for now, right?” 

“Ya,” Nash answered as he walked over and looked out the window. 

Wynonna looked towards the other redhead to get an answer, but her face softened, seeing the look on her’s as she continued to trace her eyes around. “Nic . . .” She said softly. The redhead looked over and was about to speak, but Wynonna didn’t wanna hear her praise. “Hey. Don’t, ok?” 

Her mouth closed again with a swallow and she took a couple of steps forward, curling her arms tightly around her shoulders. “. . . Thank you,” she finally mumbled out, knowing that was all she would be allowed to say without getting yelled at. 

Wynonna closed her eyes for a few seconds as her fingers dug into her shoulders. She pulled back and looked up at her, reaching up and cupping her face to wipe the couple of tears that spilled out of her eyes. “Quit that, you big baby,” she huffed with a smile. 

Nicole let out a little laugh, rolling her eyes up a bit to stop the tears from continuing. “Seriously, though. You didn’t have to do thi-”

“ _ Hey _ . Stop that. Yes, I did. Now let’s go.” She walked behind her and gave her butt a smack. “You’ve got bags to unpack.” 

“Nash, you’re helping, too,” she said to the younger one, pulling his attention from the window. He walked over and plopped down onto the floor and unzipped his suitcase. “So where is Curtis?” Nicole questioned, looking towards Wynonna as she handed her a couple of her shirts to hang. 

“Dunno,” she shrugged. “Probably working on some farm equipment or something.” 

Nicole did a nod, moving when her brother nudged her away from the closet door so he could hang up his handful of shirts and jackets. He moved back to the suitcase and dumped the rest of his clothes in the dresser, setting Olly down onto the bed and his backpack down at the foot of it. “Done. Can I go hang out with Gus now?”

“Go for it, Bug,” Nicole sighed, shrugging her leather jacket off and hanging it up with the rest of her things before moving to the dresser and organizing what Nash had literally  _ dumped  _ in there for a minute before doing the same with her own things. “Mk. Now what?” 

“That’s it?” Wynonna questioned, cocking an eyebrow. 

Nicole blinked at her for a second. “What d’you mean,  _ that’s it _ ? Didn’t you pack for us?” 

“No, Doc did,” she scoffed, looking back to the closet. “You filled up, like, not even half of it.” 

The redhead walked back over and shoved their bags in before closing the door. “We pack light,” she mumbled, walking past her. 

Wynonna furrowed her brows, but then realized how she was coming off. “Haught, wait.” 

Nicole stopped, turning back towards her. “Yes?” 

“You, me, Nash? We’re going shopping this weekend. On me. Take it as a little  _ housewarming  _ gift.” She gave her a little smile that the younger one knew was apologetic. 

“We’re fine, Wy. Really.” She turned out the door again. “I have to work anyways.”

“Why?” 

She turned back once again with a confused look on her face. “Because I have to  _ work _ .” 

“Why?” Wynonna repeated. “What bills do you have to pay?” 

“I-” She tipped her head a bit. “You don’t expect me to live here for  _ free _ , do you?” 

“I mean, I do,” she said with a shrug. 

“Yea, well, it’s  _ your _ house.” 

“Gus and Curtis said as long as you help out around here, you’re fine.” 

Nicole squinted at her. “Wh- no. That’s not fair.” 

“What is  _ wrong  _ with you, Haught?” The brunette asked with a laugh. “I’m telling you that you  _ don’t  _ need two jobs anymore. All you have to pay is, what? Your car insurance?Gas? Your phone bill?”

Nicole shook her head in disbelief and turned away. She had never  _ not  _ had to work for things, so it wasn’t settling right that she was just going to be able to  _ live  _ there for  _ free _ . Anyone else would take that deal with no questions, but that’s never how it worked for Nicole. She was used to strings attached to  _ everything _ . So unless she heard it from the woman herself, she wasn’t going to settle for it. 

**2:41 PM**

After a long day at cheer practice, Waverly was glad to throw her red Jeep in park when reaching the homestead. Tugging the keys out of the ignition, she leaned back into her seat and set them down roughly in the cupholder. Her mind was still spinning, as it had been all day, from the night before. Well, from what she could remember. She could only remember the beginning of the night crystal clear and then the rest was a blur. A  _ wasted _ blur. She does, however, remember the one event in the night that has kept gnawing away at her since it took place: what happened when she went back to Champ’s place after running into Nicole nearby Shorty’s. With the thoughts running back to her rapidly once more, Waverly started to feel her heart pumping as her breath rose uncontrollably. She needed to call someone, she needed to tell someone. 

On the verge of a complete panic attack, the younger girl stopped abruptly when she sensed movement out of the corner of her eye. Curiosity being the core of the youngest Earp’s nature, all panicking had to be put to the side until the presence was identified. She turned her head towards the motion only to be more dumbfounded at the sight of Nash Haught running around her barn, chasing a  _ cat? _

“What the . . .” The sophomore said to herself. “No. I have to be dreaming or- or maybe I’m still drunk?!” She stared at the boy who was still blissfully unaware of anything else other than the poor tabby cat’s tail to which he was desperately trying to grab. “Okay, _why_ is Nash in my yard? And who’s freakin’ cat is that?!” It would be a lie if you were to say the girl didn’t look absolutely deranged sitting in her Jeep, freaking the  _ fuck _ out. “Okay, Earp. Breathe.” Self-soothing always worked, right? 

After a lot of _self-soothing_ and many more dumbfounded statements to herself, Waverly jumped out of her car before swinging her backpack over her shoulder and shutting the car door with a loud thud. 

“Wynonna?” She called after she made her way into the house. She rolled her eyes to the lack of response. “Gus?” She tried. 

“In here, Honey.” The woman’s soft but gravelly drawl was pure comfort to the girl. She followed the woman’s voice into the living room where she found her perched on the couch with a newspaper in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. 

“Hi, Gus.” The younger girl sighed as she threw her arms around her aunt in a loose hug. The older woman took the hand holding the paper and gave Waverly’s arm a couple of pats before returning to the page she was holding. 

“How was your day, Pumpkin?” 

Oh, how she did  _ not _ wanna answer that one. So, she threw on that signature ‘Waverly Earp’ smile and gave the old one-two answer, “Oh, you know. Just some projects and stuff. A couple tests coming up . . . cheer practice went okay. Stephanie Jones didn’t show again but what’s new?” She hoped that was enough to satisfy the older woman who was eyeing her curiously. Nothing got past Gus. _N_ _othing_. 

“Sounds like it was a long day, Dear. Why don’ you go on ahead upstairs and rest. Dinner will be done around soon. Go on and relax a little.” She flashed a warm smile before motioning to the stairs for Waverly to take her much wanted exit. 

“I think I will.” She stretched to make it seem like she was tired, though her show was pointless to all parties. She still gave it a good ‘Waverly’ go. 

Quickly running up the stairs she headed towards her room, taking into account only the presence of someone, but figuring it was Wynonna, she didn’t bother to check who it was. 

Maybe she should have. 

“Hiya, Roomie,” Nicole smirked as she leaned up against the doorframe of Waverly's room. 

This time, unlike the night before, Nicole’s sudden words had the younger girl’s feet frozen in place. All the fear and shock that was missing from their little encounter appeared in tenfold as a sober Earp turned her head to face her. 

“What?!” Her face only hardened more when her reaction caused the taller girl to double over in laughter. “My what?!” 

“Oh please,” the junior said through fading laughs, “Only in your  _ dreams _ . Though, you’d like that, wouldn’t you, Princess?” 

“Uh, no. _Boyfriend_ , remember?” Waverly said through the hardest eye roll she had ever managed, though it was a ploy. She really did not want to deal with anything right now, least of all the redheaded delinquent in front of her. 

“Riiight, the boy-man. Yeah, how’s he doin’? He seemed real sharp last night drooling all over you. I bet you had fun, huh?” The junior’s daring eyes and smart ass grin was met with glazed over, hazel orbs. Not like the usual fiery ones she flashed whenever the older girl opened her big mouth. 

“Screw off, Nicole.” Waverly resumed her way towards her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her, and effectively ending the conversation. She absolutely could _not_ show Nicole the tears that had spilled out of her eyes nor the quivering lip she was biting back. 

The taller one almost allowed herself to feel ashamed for being a dick but a shrill cry she knew all too well saved her from wallowing for too long. 

“Coley!” The small, terrified voice called from downstairs. Stairs in which Nicole practically jumped down to get to her little brother. 

“What’s wrong, Bug?” She asked as she fell to her knees in front of the hysterical boy. Before he could answer, however, the front door opened carefully and a _towering_ , but gentle moving man appeared. 

“Oh, Curtis! What did I _tell you_ about the boy!” Gus walked over to her husband and started to scold him about what happened, but he brushed her off as he looked to the older redhead with a sorry smile. 

“I’m sorry, Hun. I didn’t mean to scare the little fella. I was just as surprised to see him as he was me, I reckon,” he chuckled softly. 

Once Nicole fully assessed the situation and concluded her little brother was safe, she rose to her feet, letting the smaller Haught tuck into her leg as he calmed down. “It’s okay, Mr. McCready. He just . . . doesn’t do well around other men, is all.” She put her hand out from him to shake. 

“Oh don’t you do all that. Curtis works just fine.” He smiled warmly as he took her’s in his own large, weathered hand. He had kind, deep eyes; they were dark in color, but very soft. And now that she was at her full height, she could see that he had an easy half a foot on her.

“Nicole. Nice to finally meet you, Curtis.” 

“God, what kind of Hallmark shit did I just walk in on?” Wynonna came sauntering down the stairs with a random bag of chips that the redhead couldn’t explain the origin of. 

“Language, Wynonna!” Gus barked and motioned to the smaller Haught seeming to have calmed down, but was still skeptical of the man standing in front of him. 

The darker brunette shrugged, “Uh, English. Mostly.” She shot her shit-eating smirk at her before looking back to her friend. “ Haught Shit, c’mon. Please, please,  _ please,  _ bail on work tonight. We have to have some type of moving in party or something.” 

This time both Gus and Curtis chastised the girl for her expletives of choice. Not that it made much of a difference anyway. 

“When do you have to go to work, Darlin’?” The older woman asked. 

“Uh in about a half hour or so.” 

“Oh well that’s just perfect. I’ll finish up supper before you go.” 

“Oh no, no, no, Gus. That’s okay. I work at McDonalds- I can always get something there if I’m hungry . . ." Nicole sure as hell was  _ not  _ about to suggest it anymore, given the look the older woman made. 

“That’s ridiculous. No kid of mine in this house is goin’ on an empty stomach or eatin’ that trash. You and Nash go on and wash up. It’ll be done in 10.” Gus made her way towards the kitchen to continue working on her _edible magic_ , as Nash described it once. “Nonna, tell that sister of yours to get ready for dinner too.” 

“Yes, Ma’am.” The older girl gave a mock salute in the direction of her aunt before turning around and marching back up the stairs. Now all that was left was the two Haughts, and the ever gentle Curtis. 

“Hey, Bug,” Nicole began as she knelt back down to eye level to Nash, “Why don’t you say hi to Wynonna’s Uncle Curtis?” She saw the fear flood his little eyes again at the thought of the man, so she gently rubbed his shoulders a few times before nodding in the man’s direction. “He’s awfully kind for letting us stay here, Bud.” 

With a light clearing of his voice, Curtis carefully dropped to Nash’s eye level as well, but made sure to keep a far enough distance to not scare the boy. “Hi, there. Nash, is it?” The little boy nodded his head, and the older man smiled warmly, “That’s a pretty cool name. My name’s Uncle Curtis, but you can call me Curtis if you want. I’m Wynonna and Waverly’s Uncle.” Very carefully, the older man extended his hand out in an offering to shake the boy’s. “It’s very nice to meet you, Kiddo.” 

Nash looked to his older sister for direction, but with a nod of assurance he cautiously met the man’s hand. “We-we’ve met before, I think. ‘Least I’ve seen you ‘fore,” Nash mumbled, quiet enough only the two next to him could hear. 

Curtis chuckled lightly, “I think I remember that, yeah. Gotta excuse me, Kiddo, I’m gettin’ old and forgettin’ things.” The man could’ve sworn he saw the slightest of smiles on the boy, but he didn’t say anything, he just cherished the moment. 

“Bug,” Nicole spoke up, “Buggy, how about you stay at the Homestead tonight when I go to work?” 

“ _Noooo_ , I wanna come with you!” 

“But if you stay here, you could hang out with Gus and Nonna the rest of the night. And that’s way much more fun than sittin’ in a booth, right?” She shot him a raised eyebrow, for she knew how antsy he got sitting in those booths at times.  Torn, the little boy looked back and forth between his sister and the direction Gus went to, clearly stuck in his decision.  “Why don’t you try it, Bug? If anything happens you can have Wynonna call me, okay? But you’ll be fine! You said you liked hangin’ out with Wynonna and Waverly anyway-” 

“Did not!” 

“Maybe I didn’t say it correctly. Do you recall saying how you like hanging out with Nonna and  _ The Pretty Girl  _ more than-“ 

“ _ Cole _ !- I’ll stay here.” Once again, Nicole found deep satisfaction in embarrassing her little brother as she watched his face grow to match his hair. 

“Woah, Little Dude doesn’t think  _ I’m  _ the pretty one?” Wynonna reappeared on the steps next to her sister with a feigned look of offense. 

“No, he thinks you’re okay, but  _ Waverly _ is top shelf.” Nicole only found a couple seconds of amusement before her brother decided two could play at that game. 

“Are you sure that isn’t _you_ , Cole?” The mini redhead was only left to smirk proudly at the sight of his sister’s now horrified face, and Wynonna praising him with a series of ‘ooooooh, Buuuuurn’s’ behind her. 

The redhead caught the younger brunette’s wide eyes. “Now, now, Nash. You know I don’t mess with straight girls,” she fired back as she got to her feet, feeling the heat on her face. 

“Maybe not  _ anymore _ ,” he mumbled.

“What was that, Kid?” 

Now he joined both the Earp sisters in giggling, “Nothin’.” His mini smart-ass grin was something she could only blame herself for, because she knew he most definitely learned that from her. 

“Kids! Dinners all done n’ needs some eatin’!” Nicole could not be any happier with Gus’s timing as she turned from the burn sesh hosted by her little brother, grumbling things about showing him ‘nothin’. Behind her, she could hear him receive high fives, no doubtedly from Wynonna. 

“Y’all got special seats at this table or something?” Nicole questioned, looking between the two eldest in the room. 

“Nope,” they both answered. 

“ _ Yes _ ,” Waverly huffed, sitting down in the first chair on the right. 

“Ook,” the redhead mumbled, placing her hand on her brother’s back and leading him to the other side, sitting herself in front of Miss Stick Up Her Ass. She made herself and Nash a bowl of the spaghetti Gus had whipped up, flicking a noodle at him as payback for earlier. 

“Stop,” he whined, peeling it off of his glasses lense and dropping it on his napkin with a glare. Nicole smirked, looking up at the darker brunette, who was laughing subliminally into her cup as she lifted a noodle from her bowl and flung it at her own sister.

“ _ WYNONNA _ !” 

“Knock it off,” Curtis grumbled, though the small smile on his face was evident. He even went to pick up a noodle and launch it in Gus’s direction, but quickly decided against it when she met her daggers  _ daring _ him to do it. 

“So,” the woman at the left head of the table started. “What’s his schedule look like, Nicole? For homework and bedtime and such?” 

“Well, homework right when you get home,  _ right,  _ Bug?” The redhead raised her eyebrows at the boy next to her and he slowly nodded. “And then bedtime?” 

“No,” Nash grumbled. 

“Him gets a bedtime now!” Nicole cooed, pinching his cheek. He swatted at her. “I dunno, 9?” Nash scrunched his face at her. “Dude, you are  _ seven _ . Chill.” 

“My friends don’t have a bedtime,” he grumbled. 

“Friends, huh? When did that happen?” 

He shot her a glare. “Why’re you being so mean today?” 

“ _Just_ today?” Waverly mumbled from across the table, swirling her fork around in her bowl. Nicole shot her a look. “So  _ why _ do we care about his bedtime again?” 

All eyes went towards her with at least one eyebrow cocked. “Well, Nicole has to work and I wanted to see if he needed to be in bed before she got home?” Gus answered, tipping her head a bit. 

“Home? As in, what?” 

The older Earp flicked her eyes to all participating faces before settling on her sister’s, “Uh, Home as in here, Genius.” She raised a brow as if to say ‘duh’. 

Waverly’s eyes went as wide as physically possible. “WHAT?!” 

“Dude,” Nicole scoffed as she crossed her arms. “Did you _not_ get the memo or something?” 

“Yeah, Babygirl. I told you this.” She blinked at her slowly, much like everyone else was.

“No you did  _ not _ ! _When_ , Wynonna?” 

“ _ This morning _ . And then again at-” The older girl pulled out her phone and went to her text messages to Waverly, “1:15, when I said the Eagle has landed and awaiting Mission: ‘Haught Trap’ to go live.” 

“W- I just thought you were being weird!” Waverly retorted, aggressively setting her fork down. 

“When I told you they were moving in this morning, you thought I was  _ being weird _ ?” She questioned. 

“No! The text!” 

“But . . . Waves, I literally had a  _ five minute conversation _ with you  _ right  _ when you came downstairs, do you-”

“ _ Alright, _ I’ve had just about enough of this, you two!” Gus hollered, breaking the sister’s spat. “Now I don’t know what this is all about, but Waverly, you better shape up and be nice. Nicole and Nash are stayin’ with us now and I don’t want you to give them any troubles. For god's sake, Girl, you were named ‘The Nicest Girl in Purgatory’ for a reason. Now this is the last of this conversation we’re gonna have cause I don’ wanna hear you giving our Haught’s here any problems. All of you live together now. So be nice, dammit.” 

Waverly’s jaw clenched as she looked from her aunt to the redhead in front of her. She scooted her chair back and grabbed her phone off the table. “Chrissy’s coming over later. I’m not hungry.” She looked at the redhead for one last moment before turning and stomping up the stairs, slamming her door behind her. 

“Lord have mercy.” Gus sighed into her palms. 

The table was quiet as everyone took in the last few minutes before the elder Earp finally spoke up, “Well, _that_ was rude,  _ sheesh _ . Does that mean  _ I  _ can be the pretty one now, Dude?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Mommy
> 
> Hope you enjoyed that little Good Girls bit in the beginning. Listen to it (by 5sos) and tell me its not Waves, I dare you


	8. Look Out For Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First night living with the Earps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef:  
> Yo bros  
> It's been a hell of a week, but here's this one  
> Sorry in advance  
> WARNING:  
> Kinda sorta a smidge of kinda sorta non-con?  
> Solace:  
> Hey y’all, like queef said it’s been a hell of a week. Please bare with us rn, im going through a breakup and Queef is just Queef. Enough said LMAO but nah. Sorry if quality suffers, I’m a sad gay rn.  
> \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**January 14th, 2019 3:03 PM**

“Alright, Bug, I’m gonna get going.” Nicole bent down and rested her hands on her little brother’s shoulders. “You be good, okay? And remember, if you really need me, Nonna can call me.” 

The little Haught rolled his eyes, now too bratty to think about the reality of his sister leaving. “Yeah, I got it.” He only faltered a little when he saw his sister’s warning brow. 

“Alright, Brat. I’ll be home around 10:30,” the older girl said before pressing a kiss into his forehead and giving a flick to one of his ears. He swatted her hand away and rubbed the afflicted ear as she laughed, standing up. 

And it was only after the elder Haught was through the door did he quip back her, though not so quietly. “ _ Shithead _ ,” he grumbled, still rubbing his ear. 

What little Nash did not realize was that a certain Earp was still standing relatively close to him, and only was reminded when he heard her let out the biggest gasp he had ever heard a human make. “Oh. My. God.” Wynonna breathed every word with eyes as wide as the little boy’s when he turned to face her, ready for the worst. However, little Nash was  _ not _ ready for the older girl to suddenly pick him up and spin him around in a mad fit of laughter. 

Once put back on the ground, which was spinning with the rest of the room for him, she bent down to look at him with a huge, devilish smile. “Oh-hohoo, Little Dude! I’m so proud of you!” Nash was now completely confused but a little proud of himself as he accepted the high five Wynonna threw out to him in celebration before smiling widely himself. Tonight was going to be fun after all. 

The duo barely acknowledged the front door opening again behind them as they made their way into the living room to watch some cartoons. In fact, no one really was aware that Chrissy was now going up the stairs of the homestead but Waverly, who was waiting for her whilst moping around in her room. 

“Hey,” Chrissy sang as she opened the door, only to see her best friend looking as if someone shot her puppy, “Jeez, who died?” When she got no response other than the glare she was thrown, she put on a snarky brow as she plopped down on the floor next to Waverly. 

“She  _ lives  _ here now,” the brunette complained. 

“Who?” She was given a look as if she was supposed to already know, like she should have read the girl’s mind. 

“Nicole! And her little  _ mini-me _ brother!” 

“Great! Someone around here your age to play with,” the blonde laughed, thought it faded at the  _ death _ glare she was thrown. “Come  _ on _ , Waves! It’s Wynonna’s best friend. If it were the other way around, would you have brought  _ me _ to live with you?”

"It’s not the same thing! At least  _ you _ don’t annoy the  _ shit  _ out of  _ my  _ sister. And besides, you’re not a bad influence on me, unlike like her to Nonna.” 

“Hey, that’s not fair. From what you told me the other day,  _ she’s  _ the reason why you still  _ have _ a sister.” Chrissy gave her the ‘You Know I’m Right’ face, one she knew Waverly caved to without fail. 

With a sad huff, the shorter girl flung herself backward to now lay flat to the floor and threw her hands dramatically over her face. “I  _ know _ . You’re right. It’s just-  _ ugh _ . If it were  _ anyone  _ else! I swear any-”

“Why does she bother you so much anyway, Waves? 

“Cause she’s fucking annoying,” she grumbled.

“Not really,” the blonde said with a shrug. “She’s never bothered me.” 

“Well you didn’t almost  _ make out with her _ , now did you?” The words were out of her mouth before she even realized it.

“Uh-m, ‘scuse me?” Her best friend turned her body to face her fully as she folded her hands in her lap. 

“ _ Shit _ ,” Waverly growled into her hands. 

“ _ Hello _ ? Earth to Waverly ‘I Have A Boyfriend But Also May Be Into Chicks’ Earp?” 

That made her spring upwards and all but tackle the other girl. “Shut up! Shut your mouth! Not so loud!” She emphasized each sentence with a small series of smacks to her arm. 

“Ow! Okay! Sheesh!” Chrissy paused for a moment, “But seriously, ‘Possible Bisexual’, what happened?” She flinched when her friend raised a hand in warning that she could restart the slap-storm again. 

Waverly sighed, dropping her hands to her lap. “I don’t know, Chrissy! One minute she’s grabbing me all weird cause she never puts her frickin’ book down and walks into literally  _ everything.  _ Then the next thing I know we’re reciting ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ and getting really close and then she pinned me against my PE locker as we were  _ about to _ , but her phone rang!” The younger girl was obviously rambling at this point, which Chrissy was used to, but she was only half paying attention. 

“Wait, isn’t that poem by that Frosty guy?”

“Frost. Robert Frost, yea.” 

The blonde blinked at her for a few seconds as she tried to put all of this information together. “Ok, so let me get this straight- or  _ gay _ .” She smirked, but shook it away at the glare she got. “You were in the locker room. Nicole came in and bumped into you, then-”

“ _ Humped  _ me, she humped me, Chrissy.” 

Her mouth came open a bit. “ _ Oh _ ,” she said a bit dryly. “Ok . . . So then  _ that  _ led to Robert Frost  _ how _ ?” 

“ _ Because _ !” She said in a helpless whine. “She took my shoe and then I went to try and get it. But I saw the tattoo on her chest. It says  _ Stay Gold _ , y’know from The Outsiders?” 

“How’d you see it?”

The brunette threw her a look. “Cause she had her shirt off,” she mumbled under her breath. 

“You almost made out with her when she didn’t have a shirt on!?-”

Waverly knocked her back again and clapped her hand over her mouth. “ _ SHHHHHHH _ !” 

“I’m sorry,” she said into her palm. 

“Chrissy, The  _ LAST  _ thing I need is Wynonna hearing ANY of this!” She removed her hand from her friend's mouth only after Chrissy threw her hands up in surrender. With a huff, she sat back in her respective spot. 

The taller girl let a beat pass before craning her neck slightly to the side daringly, trying it one more time. “Well, I ship it.” 

“CHRISSY!” 

“What?! I do!” 

“ _ Shut up _ ! Don’t we have a test to study for or something?” Waverly was  _ clearly _ over the conversation, and Chrissy respected that, for she’d had enough fun . . . for now. 

**11:15 PM**

The sound of rusty shocks battling the rocky driveway of the homestead was a relief to three sets of ears awaiting the return of a certain redhead. 

“God, what?! Did you get stuck inside the ice cream machine?” Nicole was greeted by her lovely best friend as she walked through the door. 

“Something like that.” She successfully hid the evil smirk she donned in the darkness of the hallway. 

“Yeah-huh. And what, did you lose your phone in it, too? Cause I called you  _ three times _ , Haught!” 

“Woah, Wy, chill.” The taller girl checked her phone to see three missed calls from ‘Ride or Die’, and a text from Poppy, thanking her for the  _ ride _ . “I’m sorry, Dude. I got out super late cause this kid didn’t show for her graveyard shift so I had to wait.” It wasn’t a  _ complete _ lie, she did have to stay later for her co-worker, but she also made a pit stop on her way home to release some of the day's  _ tension.  _

The brunette stood silent for a moment, staring her friend up and down to see if she was being lied to or not. “Ok well, just remember to text one of us if that happens again. Gus and Curtis were  _ real fucking worried _ about you, Nicole. Don’t forget you have a family now.” 

The last sentence took the taller girl off guard, but it also stung. A family was something she never  _ truly  _ had. Not one she had that worried about her, anyway. She decided the guilt she now had in her chest wasn’t worth a quickie with a cute brunette in the backseat of her car. “Sorry, Nonna.” 

“Nicole?” Another woman’s voice called from the living room. Turning the corner, the junior saw the older couple sitting on the couch. “Are you alright, Hun? We got worried when you didn’t come home.” 

Bowing her head with guilt, the redhead sighed. “I’m sorry, Gus. Just a schedule mix-up at work. I should’ve called.” 

The older woman gave the girl a warm, but knowing smile as she got up off the couch. “That’s quite alright, Darlin’, just remember to tell one of us next time, okay?” When the girl finally raised her head up to look at Gus, the two shared a brief look of an unspoken  _ actual _ conversation. With a nod and another apology, Gus and her husband said their goodnights and finally went off to bed. 

“So d’you have fun?” Wynonna asked her as they went up the stairs. 

“W-what?” 

“ _ Come on _ , Haught Pocket. I know you didn’t actually stay another hour at work just because  _ one _ person was late. Besides . . .” The brunette pointed below Nicole’s torso, “Your flies still down.” Before the redhead could stutter out an apology or explanation, the brunette simply put her hand up as they stood outside her room. “Hey, look, Haughty. I get it. Girl’s got needs. Just don’t go MIA next time, okay? Tell us where you are and what you’re doing— well, okay, maybe not  _ that, _ but just let us know you’re good. Okay?” 

“Okay. Sorry, Wy.” 

“No. Now go, I’m sure Little Dude’s still up waiting for you.” 

The two bidded goodnight to one another before Nicole made her way quietly into their room. Sure enough, the little redhead was still awake, reading to his lion to keep himself occupied. 

“Hey, Bug, what are you still doing up?” Nicole asked softly as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. 

“Why were you gone so  _ late _ , Cole?” For the second time today, the older girl knew she had no one to blame but herself for her brother’s cut the shit attitude, for he knew when and when not to beat around the bush. 

“I had to work later for Vikki tonight, Bud. I’m sorry. But I’m home now, and you, Sir, have to go to bed.” 

“How’s that flower girl?” He raised his brows and tipped his head. 

“ _ What _ now?” She questioned, for she had been caught  _ completely  _ off guard by that. 

“Poppy. The one you made me take an ice cream to the other day?” 

Her mouth hung open for a second, but she righted it with a clenched jaw. “ _Excuse_ _me_ , Nash. I said bedtime. _Now_.” Getting questioned by Wynonna, she could handle. Getting caught by Gus, she could _manage_. But getting called out by her little brother, too? That one she’d have to pass on. 

The mini Haught huffed and squinted his eyes at his sister, making it clear to her that he was not happy. Nonetheless, he listened as he closed the book he was reading and placed it on the nightstand, along with his glasses. Before long, he was all tucked in with Olly, but he made sure he would be facing away from his older sister. He wanted her to know he was still mad. 

After getting ready for bed, Nicole climbed in next to Nash, also facing the opposite way, for she was  _ so  _ not in the mood to deal with his sassiness. 

“Night, Cole,” the little voice grumbled from behind the older girl. 

She smiled as she answered, “Goodnight, Bug.” Though all she heard in response was a small grunt, she was sure she could hear a small smile in it anyway.

Nicole focused on nothing but the silence outside and the sound of her own light breathing as she tried to will herself to sleep. However, that was easier said than done, for she had been trying for about ten minutes with no success. She turned from every position, each time with huffs that grew longer with her building frustration. It was just hopeless at that point for the redhead; she wasn’t going to get to sleep any time soon. Defeated, she sighed and opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. It was only then that a third sound caught her attention. 

Cries and sniffles suddenly became audible. Nicole strained to hear the voices mixed in with them, but she was unable to hear what they were saying or even whom they belonged to. She knew it really wasn’t her business, but she rationalized her curiosity with the counter argument that her sexual endeavors were none of the others’ business either. So, with her guilt explained away, she sat up to get a better angle of hearing. After squinting very hard, she concluded that it was not coming from the room across the hall, but the room  _ next  _ to her’s-  _ Waverly’s  _ room. She let out a small huff, yet the curiosity was still engulfing her body. She gently scooted closer to the wall and pressed an ear against it, hoping to get a clearer sound to the voices in the room over. 

“-didn’t know!” The one crying said, and she recognized it now as Waverly. 

“How did you not know?” The other voice questioned. She figured it was Chrissy, seeing that the brunette had made the announcement that she was coming over at dinner earlier. Her voice was comforting, so she could tell whatever was going on was not an argument between the two. 

“I’ve never drank before, Chris. How was I supposed to know the difference? I mean, yea. W-We stopped at the backdoor of Shorty’s and one of his friends gave him two cups of  _ something _ , but I asked him and he told me mine didn’t have anything in it.” 

“So it just tasted like fruit punch or whatever?” The blonde asked. 

“Yea,” Waverly sniffled. “I didn’t know it wasn’t until we got back to his house and he started being  _ gross _ .” 

Nicole waited as there was a pause between the two, and took the time to take it all in herself. She knew Waverly had been drinking the night before, for she had experienced that first hand. But she hadn’t known that she had basically been  _ drugged  _ by her boy toy. She knew that the kid was an ass, but she didn’t think he would do something like that. And now she was saying he started being  _ gross _ ? Well, what was new.  _ Focus, Haught _ . 

Obviously, whatever it was had her upset because by the sound of it, she was crying again. 

“Waves . . .” The blonde said softly. “What the hell did he do?”

**January 14th, 2019, 12:52 AM**

“Woah, Babe,” Champ laughed as the brunette returned to his side after strutting away from the redhead. “That was fucking  _ hot _ .” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pushed a wet kiss to her cheek, grabbing her jaw and turning her face towards him to give her lips the same attention. 

Waverly couldn’t deny it. She also agreed that what she had just said to Nicole was  _ hot _ . Or. Well. It made her  _ hot _ . In places. She shook it off as she pulled away from his greedy mouth, turning her head straight forward to see that they were coming up on his house, as it was right next to the bar. She decided that the feeling in her stomach was for Champ, so she gave in again after downing the last of what was in her cup and dropping it to the grass, letting him dig his fingers into her hips as he pushed her against the side of his house. He looked down at her with a crooked smirk before going back at her lips and pushing his body closer to her if that was even possible. 

Her mind drifted a bit as she reached up for his face, hoping that would let a little more air be able to fit into her lungs, and she remembered that Nicole had said that she was waiting for Wynonna. And she didn’t even want to  _ imagine  _ the mouthful she’d get if her sister caught her sneaking out. 

Waverly pushed at Champ a bit until he finally detached from her face. “Inside? My sister could be out here- or the police. It’s past curfew.” She threw the last bit in, knowing that would be more important to him than  _ her  _ status with Wynonna. 

But judging by his face, the thought of Wynonna seeing her with  _ him  _ was enough to make him drag her towards the door because he knew he’d be shot on site. He pulled the door open and let her in, closing it somewhat softly behind him. Her eyes did a once over of the surrounding rooms, seeing that there wasn’t anyone there. But that was all she got before he turned her and reattached his mouth, this time to her neck, as he backed her towards the beat up leather couch in the living room. He stopped them in front of it and let go of her as he pulled his own shirt off and dropped it beside him. Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what was happening. 

Because, for some reason, her brain didn’t seem to be up to speed at the moment. 

The boy-man took her wide eyes as a good sign and grinned as he stepped towards her and tilted her head up to meet his eyes. “You like what you see, Baby?” He asked as his other hand went down to her hip, gripping onto the hem of her shirt. 

She couldn’t deny that he  _ didn’t  _ have a bad body. He was extremely muscular and tall. What else could a girl ask for? But for whatever reason, her mouth barely squeaked out a “Yea.” 

He let out a small chuckle as his hand moved from her chin to mirror the other’s. “How about we make it even then, aye?”

_ At least he had the decency to ask consent _ . 

She couldn’t manage any words, so she just nodded. But before her head was even done bobbing, he was yanking her shirt over her head and backing her up the remaining couple of steps until her knees hit the sofa and she fell back on it. He pounced on top of her and her arms wrapped around his neck as he mashed into her lips again. 

She didn’t notice that he was grinding on her until she felt a bulge press against her inner thigh, and that was probably why she hadn’t noticed. He was rubbing against her  _ thigh _ . He kissed down her neck and over the top of her bra as he moved back a bit, hands coming down to the elastic on her leggings. 

Her vision wobbled a bit and stomach rolled over as he bit  _ particularly hard  _ into the top of her boob. She realized what he was doing, and how she knew she  _ should _ let him because that was what he had asked of her for  _ months  _ now, but there were red blinking lights and sirens going off in her head, telling her no. “Champ,” she forced out, but he continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “Champ, hey,” she repeated, pushing against his shoulder and sitting up a bit. 

He raised his head from the wet spot he had left on the front of her bra where he  _ assumed  _ her nipple was, “What, Wave?” He asked a little impatiently. 

“I . . .” She shook her head a bit with a swallow, “Babe, I don’t feel good.” 

His brow immediately furrowed, but it relaxed with another smirk. “It’s just the booze talking. You’re fine.” 

She shook her head around, pushing him back and sitting up. “What?!” 

He sat up in front of her, bringing his hands to his lap. “Ok, maybe Drake  _ did  _ put a _ lil sum sum _ in our fruit punch,” he said with a sweet smile. Her eyes popped out of her head, but he took her hand. “Hey . . . See, you didn’t even notice. It’s ok, Waves. It just loosened you up a bit.” 

She pulled her hand back. “I didn’t  _ want  _ to be loosened up. What the hell?! You can’t just . . . get me  _ drunk _ !” 

"Shh.” He tugged her closer. “Calm down, would ya? You’re gonna wake up the whole house.”

She shook her head, scooting back from him and swinging her legs back over the side. “No. I’m not doing this.” 

The boy-man let out a couple of sputters as she moved to get up. “You can’t just  _ tease  _ me, Waves! It’s my birthday!” 

“Yea, well, you can’t just  _ get me drunk  _ either.” She stood and went to grab her shirt but he somewhat-gently grabbed her arm. She looked up at him, seeing the puppy dog hurt on his face.

“I got  _ us  _ drunk for  _ you _ . So you could loosen up a little. But you’re only thinking about  _ yourself _ now, and you don’t even care about what you’re doing to me!” 

“Champ-” 

“No,  _ Waverly _ .” He grabbed her hand and cupped his crotch with it. “You can’t just do  _ that  _ to me, Baby.” His eyes were still pleading, and he tipped his head slightly to make them more so.

The younger girl swallowed hard with guilt as she looked down at her hand or a second, but then everywhere else than her boyfriend. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. 

He flashed his teeth in a sleazy grin before pulling her by the hand back to the couch. He sat them down, facing his girlfriend partially as he leaned back. “Are you actually sorry, Babe?” He tried to flash doe eyes towards her as she sadly nodded. “Prove it.” 

“W- . . . H-how?” 

The jock answered by roughly gripping the back of her head by her hair and made her eyes follow his own as he glanced down at his still-present bulge. All he could do was smirk devilishly as he met her wide eyes. “If you really wanna make it up to me, Baby,” he started as he tugged gently at the hair near her scalp, “You’re gonna need to tie all this back.” 

Seeing as there was really nothing left to do that wouldn’t make her seem like a  _ horrible girlfriend _ , the younger girl complied and pulled her hair back loosely with the black hair tie she had around her wrist. She took one final breath before reaching up for the buckle of his pants, meeting his eyes with an attempt at a smile as she undid it. 

**January 14th, 2019, 11:36 PM**

“A-And I did it until he . . . But he wanted more than that. And . . . I . . . I couldn’t. My phone thankfully made a noise. I don’t know what it was, p-probably just an Instagram alert, but I told him Wynonna texted me and I had to leave. And he was pissed, but he l-let me go cause, I mean, he’s terrified of her.” 

“ _ Jesus _ , Waves . . . I’m so sorry.” Chrissy was at a loss for words as she did her best to rub comforting patterns into her best friend’s upper back as she cried into her shoulder. “But I hope you know that you never,  _ ever  _ owe anyone  _ anything  _ that makes you feel uneasy.”

“But that’s the thing, Chris!” The brunette huffed. “I don’t understand why it does! He’s my  _ boyfriend _ ! I should  _ want  _ that out of him, right?”

“I mean, not necessarily,” she offered. “Maybe you’re just not ready for that yet?” 

She was quiet as she sat up out of her lap, rubbing her eyes with a sniffle. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “Maybe it  _ was  _ just the booze.” 

Nicole peeled her ear away from the wall, slowly sitting upright as her teeth grit together. She couldn’t listen to any more of that. With a hard swallow, she realized her throat was bone dry, and her head was hot. The thought of a tall glass of cold water was decidedly the best thing the redhead had ever heard of in the middle of the night, so she quickly hopped off the bed, though careful enough not to disturb her peacefully sleeping brother, and made her way out of the room. 

Once again, she tried her best to be mindful of the houseful of sleeping people, but she couldn’t help the occasional creaky floorboard groan under her light steps as she went down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

“Breathe, Haught,” she said lowly to herself. Pouring herself a nice, ice cold glass of water, she sat down before slamming the entire thing back like a shot. The redhead looked to the stove to try and read the time but the numbers didn’t register in her mind as the room got a little more blurry than normal considering she was without her glasses. Suddenly, the weight of her cheek resting on her fist got heavier, but none of that registered either she looked back down to her glass with heavier eyes.

She seemed to be pulled from her sleepy state at the sound of attempted-quiet footsteps coming down the stairs behind her. She lifted her head from her hand and turned her head, squinting slightly to make out the two figures that were now staring at her as well. 

“Uhh,” Chrissy mumbled, turning her head to look at the younger Earp beside her. 

Nicole clenched her jaw and stood, grabbing the cup off the table and walking towards the sink with a sigh. She put her hand out and felt for the ledge, setting it down when she was sure of its location. She turned around and leaned back against the counter, letting out another sigh as she looked back towards the two. 

“We were just getting some water,” the blonde informed as she moved them towards the kitchen, pulling open the cabinet and grabbing Waverly a cup out. 

She hadn’t noticed, though, that the brunette was making herself busy reaching up into the cabinet on the other side of Nicole, pulling a whiskey bottle down. The redhead looked towards her at the sound of the twist of the cap. She furrowed her brows and reached her hand out, stopping her from bringing it to her lips like she had planned on. “Hey . . .” 

“ _ Nicole _ ,” she said in warning as she flicked her hand away. 

“Waverly, c’mon.” She reached out and took the cap from her hand, grabbing the bottle with the other and closing it before putting it back where it came from. “You don’t need that.”

The shorter girl crossed her arms in front of her with a scoff. “I’m sorry, since when do  _ you  _ know what I do and do not need?” 

“She’s got a point, Wav-”

“ _ Chrissy _ .” If her tone wasn’t what cut her off, it certainly was the look in her eyes. “Take my  _ stupid  _ water upstairs, I’ll be there in a minute.” The blonde pursed her lips, but did what she was told as she lifted the glass she had poured back off the counter and made her way quietly upstairs. Waverly looked back up at the redhead, tipping her head, for she still wanted her answer to the question. “Nicole?” She tried again, more anger seeping into her tone. 

“Yes,  _ Wynonna _ ?” Nicole didn’t miss a beat, as she was almost bored of this standoff, and knew by using the sister card that the younger girl would snap out of it quicker than without it. Sure enough, the brunette lost all her resolve and dropped her glare, now looking to the ground as she felt her eyes water. “Drinking your feelings doesn’t help anything, Waves,  _ trust  _ me.” 

Her head lifted at the nickname, and she suddenly noticed the look in her eyes, seeing how her words had a double meaning behind them. It was only then that she realized that what she hoped what was not true, was. Her and Chrissy had heard the older girl go down the stairs, after all, and that meant she could’ve been awake long enough to hear everything she told her friend. And by the look on Nicole’s soft and sympathetic face, she knew then that she had. However, she didn’t feel exposed like she thought would. She didn’t feel the need to duck her head out of shame nor did she feel a ting of embarrassment. And it was in that look on her face that was keeping those emotions from her. Even with the rockiness of their relationship, Waverly knew that she was nothing but safe standing in front of the junior. But it was also the softness of her features that jabbed her straight in the chest, pushing a choked sob out of her mouth that she quickly tried to use her hand to conceal. 

Nicole felt her heart wobble in her chest at the sight, and although she used every nerve in her body to try and stop herself, she knew she wasn’t strong enough to watch her cry like that. She quickly pushed off the counter and stepped towards her, grabbing onto her shoulders and pulling her into a tight hug. “Shh, you’re safe now, Wave.” She felt herself relax into the embrace when she felt the other girl do so as well. It felt natural, and  _ good _ . The feeling of the now easing breaths of the younger girl’s blew gently into her shoulder as both their hearts began to beat as one. 

“I know.” 

Nicole held her a little tighter, pushing her hand to the back of her head as her other squeezed into the side of her arm. She didn’t loosen it until she was sure the sniffle she let out was the last. Waverly pulled back slightly but kept her body close, and Nicole lifted her hands to her cheeks to wipe the final tears. She kept her hands there and tipped her head up to meet her eyes. “You okay?” Her eyes made an attempt to be soft as she looked down at her, but really, the lack of light and her sheer blindness was making her squint and dart them around. 

And,  _ God _ , if it wasn’t the cutest thing Waverly had ever seen. She let out a small, breathless giggle as she reached up and ran her finger across the wrinkle between her brows, sliding it down to her cheek to push it in the dimple that popped out. “I’m ok now,” she assured with a smile of her own, leaning into her a bit more. 

“Are you sure?” Nicole was still concerned about the prior situation even though the smaller one seemed to be more concerned with her dimples at the moment-  _ scratch that _ ,  _ lips _ . She was, in fact, looking at her  _ lips  _ now. 

And the taller one would be lying if she said she wasn’t returning the favor. 

“Oh,  _ very  _ sure, Nic.” Waverly raised her eyes to meet her’s once again, and she was pleased to see that she had developed some lust in them. She bit her bottom lip as she gave her a sly smile, sliding her hand down to her neck.

Nicole mirrored the grin she had on her face and dropped one of her arms, curling it around her waist as she dipped her head-

_ SMACK _

Instead of meeting the soft lips of the brunette, she was rudely met with a cold, hard, wooden surface, leaving pain from her chin to her right cheek. Picking her head up, she also discovered a long strand of cooled drool starting from a corner of her offended lips all the way down to past her wrist. “Fuck,” she grumbled to herself as she wiped her face with her arm, then on her shirt. She must’ve forgotten where she was and what was going on because the redhead looked around, expecting to see her room, but she instead saw a dark kitchen in which she was sitting, with only an empty glass in front of her to keep her company. 

_ No  _ Waverly. 

_ No  _ standing body to body, staring into each other’s longing eyes. 

_ No  _ smiles and small chuckles with hearts dancing together in one, loud beat. 

_ None  _ of it. 

Just a cold, dark kitchen, a small puddle of drool next to an empty glass, and a confused, semi- _ bothered _ Ginger. 

“What, the  _ actual _ fuck was that, Man?” She, once again, was talking to herself- Well, more  _ whining  _ to herself, at this point. “Get it  _ together _ .” Standing up, she grabbed the glass with one hand and guided herself around the dark, blurry kitchen with the other as she did in her  _ god-damn-stupid-motherfucking  _ dream. While at the sink, she turned on the water just enough to splash some cold,  _ cold  _ water on her face as punishment for said dream. 

**January 15th, 2019, 12:14 AM**

“Waves, I think you need to get some sleep,” Chrissy mumbled from beside her. 

“No.” 

“Wave . . . You’re  _ exhausted _ .” 

“I’m  _ fine _ , Chrissy,” she huffed out, pulling her pillow onto her lap and hugging herself around it. She chewed at the inside of her cheek as she looked towards her, knowing damn well that she could  _ feel  _ her eyelids being pulled down by sleep. 

“You’re fine, huh?” She asked with a testy lilt in her voice. The brunette pursed her lips. “C’mon, Sleepy Head.” She pulled the pillow from her arms and set it back where it was, getting up and walking to the other side of the room to flick the light off. She walked back over to the bed and crawled over her now-laying down body, pulling the blanket over herself with a yawn as she laid herself down beside her. “G’night, Waves.” 

“Night, Chris,” she said through her own yawn. “. . . Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?” She questioned sleepily. 

“Listening.”

She felt her hand reach over and give her arm a squeeze. “That’s what I’m here for.” 

The brunette smiled as she relaxed back into the mattress with a sigh, closing her eyes. She really did have the best best friend she could ever ask for. She had been through everything with her; the thick and the thin. From first crushes to first boyfriends to first kisses to first breakups, she had been there. And even through the winding journey with Wynonna, she had never once left her side. 

Even though her eyes and brain were in agreement to fall asleep, Waverly’s body had different ideas as she suddenly felt like she needed to pee  _ badly _ . Careful not to make too much noise and wake up her friend, she got up and crept out into the dark hall. As soon as she got out her door, however, she collided with a familiar figure, one she’s  _ definitely  _ collided into many a time. 

“God!” Waverly jumped and tried to stifle her surprised gasp. “We’ve got to stop  _ doing  _ this, Nicole!” She looked towards the other girl and tried to make eye contact. 

The other girl was just as blindsided (pun intended) as herself. However her startled eyes continued to rapidly search around the area, desperate to try and focus on something. “Sorry, but this time I  _ literally cannot  _ see where I’m going, so it’s on you.” Waverly was grateful she couldn’t see the snarky look she shot at her. 

“Right, sorry. You just scared me is all. I’m kinda jumpy.”

The taller girl’s body relaxed and her face softened in what she thought was the other girl’s direction. “I see- erm, I can  _ tell _ .” The sight impaired girl let out a sigh, internally kicking herself for the  _ so not the time _ blind jokes. “Sorry.” Nicole went to step a bit closer and shift her position but she misjudged the distance of the floor from her foot and found a way to  _ trip  _ herself.  _ Standing _ . 

Without thinking twice, the younger girl reached out to help steady her. She didn’t, however, expect the older girl’s hands to be as clumsy as her feet when blind, for one had found its way onto her chest to help balance. Both pairs of eyes went wide as Nicole snatched her hand off of the boob she realized she had grabbed as soon as she regained her balance. 

“You know, being blind doesn’t give you a  _ free grope pass _ on the girls,” the brunette said dryly despite the smile slowly forming on her face. 

The redhead’s face matched her hair as she threw her head back and rolled her eyes. “You  _ know  _ I didn’t mean to,  _ shut up _ .” She cracked a smile even though she was mortified at the other girl’s amused chuckles at her squirming. The fun, light moment was fully cherished before it faded, and the silence settled back around them albeit a little awkwardly. “Ok. Well, if you’re done running into me and laughing at my  _ disability _ , I’m just gonna shuffle my way back into my room.” 

Waverly briefly smiled although it never reached her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, I gotta go to the bathroom anyway.” 

“Sick.” The taller one did her best to look the other girl up and down before nodding and starting her way carefully back to her room. 

“. . . Nicole?” Waverly called after. She honestly didn’t know why; she didn’t even mean to.

“Yeah?” She turned around. 

“I, uh- um, nothing. Goodnight.” 

The older girl may be  _ certifiably legally  _ blind, but she wasn’t deaf, and she  _ certainly  _ wasn’t dumb. With a slight tilt of her head, she furrowed her brows. “Waves? What’s wrong?” 

She just  _ wanted  _ to tell her  _ what was wrong _ . Because there  _ was  _ so much wrong. She was disgusted with herself and she was scared. Scared of being alone. Scared of being looked down on. Scared that if something like it happened again, she might not have as much of a choice like she had before. The brunette stepped towards her so she was close enough to feel her body heat again, and she tried to cover her mouth to conceal the small sobs that crawled up her throat. And within seconds, she felt two strong arms wrap around her tightly, though not restrictive, but protective. Sheltering and warm.  _ Safe _ . Such a familiar feeling that she burrowed her into the taller girl’s chest and dropped her hand from her mouth and hold on tightly to the soft shirt under her face. 

Nicole rested her chin atop the shorter girl’s head as she gently worked her hand through brown locks of hair in a soothing rhythm. “You’re okay, Baby. I promise.” She continued to soothe and coo soft words until the final sob fizzled out into the otherwise quiet hall. 

As if it were some type of fairytale, Waverly pulled back just enough to look up at the junior who was already looking down at her with nothing but warmth in her eyes. She reached up to tuck back a rogue strand of red hair before resting her hands on her neck. She was so busy looking back and forth between those big, kind brown eyes, and those sweet, pink, smiling lips that she didn’t notice Nicole was doing the same, and actually getting closer until she felt a soft press against her forehead. The outline of her lips lingered with a sweet heat after the girl actually pulled away to remind Waverly that it happened. Once again, they were face to face, staring into each other’s eyes as their breath mingled sweetly. They helplessly drifted closer to one another, not able to control themselves-

_ HOOOOONK _

Waverly jumped so hard, she nearly rolled off the bed.

_ Bed _ ?

Her head snapped around to observe her surroundings, and she noticed she was in her room. 

On her bed. 

No Nicole. 

Just an obnoxiously snoring Chrissy beside her. 

She couldn’t help but let out a small whine as her brain put it all together, and she realized she must have dreamed it all. 

_ HOOOOONK _

She snapped her head towards the blonde and let out a groan, ripping her pillow out from under her head and smacking her in the face with it. “Shut  _ up _ , you  _ fucking goose _ !” She whispered shouted as she startled awake. 

The girl let out a grunt before rolling her head to look at her. “Whaat?” She questioned, rubbing her eyes. 

“Your snoring woke me up,” she huffed, dropping her pillow back on her face. 

She scoffed as she lifted it and shoved it back under her head. “I don’t  _ snore _ .”

“ _ Yes, you do _ ,” she muttered under her breath. 

“Shut up.” 

She rolled her eyes before flipping to her side to face away from her, closing her eyes once again with a sigh. She was trying to figure out a lot of things in her mind. Why had she dreamed such a thing? Why was  _ Nicole  _ the star of the show? Why did her brain decide that she wanted to kiss her again? But most  _ importantly _ , why was she upset that it wasn’t real? 

She shook her head at herself, rolling to her back to try and find a comfy position. She was going crazy; she  _ had  _ to be. She didn’t want to  _ kiss _ Nicole Haught. She had a boyfriend, for God’s sake. 

Okay, maybe a boyfriend that had  _ kinda sorta  _ gotten her drunk and  _ kinda sorta  _ pressured her into sucking him off.  _ BUT _ . He was her boyfriend, nonetheless. And she still had feelings for him despite his assholeish tendencies. And the whole thing between her and Nicole in the locker room meant  _ nothing _ . It was stupid. And she wished she never would have even-  _ God, Waverly, stop lying to yourself. _

She let out a small whine as she flipped towards Chrissy, opening her eyes to trace her eyes over her already-back asleep figure for a second before sighing and scooting closer to her, wrapping her arm around her middle as she moved her head to her chest. Because really all she needed right now was someone else’s body heat to calm her down. The blonde must not have been completely asleep after all because she curled her arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer with a sigh of her own, “You ok, Wave?” 

“Yea,” she mumbled. 

“You’re lying . . . But it’s ok. To not be ok” 

Waverly let the side of her cheek go from being gnawed on, pursing her lips. “Quit doing that.”

“What?” 

“Getting  _ soft _ . I don’t like it.” She furrowed her brows as she heard a tired chuckle leave her mouth. 

“ _ Jokes _ . I’ve got  _ so _ many jokes. It’s so not the time, but if it were different circumstances . . .” 

Waverly scoffed, uncurling her hand from her side and smacking her boob. “Shut the hell up and go to sleep.” 

“Waves, I know you’re newly bisexual and all, but I’m pretty sure when you hit on ladies, you don’t  _ actually  _ hit them,” the blonde informed, obviously trying to keep a laugh down.

“ _ Christine Nedley _ , I swear to God-”

“Shh.” She rubbed her arm with a little laugh. “I was kidding, chill.” 

The smaller girl rolled her eyes, snuggling more into her chest with a sigh, “Please go to sleep. And  _ stop  _ snoring. I  _ will  _ go find one of Wynonna’s socks to shove in your mouth.” 

“Oh  _ God,  _ ok, I’ll try not to,” the blonde quickly blurted. 

“You better,” she muttered under her breath before closing her eyes and trying to get some sleep.

**January 15th, 2019 7:06 AM**

Nicole pushed her hand through her showered hair, trying to be somewhat quiet as she walked down the steps and turned into the kitchen. Her eyes widened slightly, seeing Waverly hovering over her phone at the kitchen table. The girl looked up at her, but didn’t acknowledge her presence any more than that before looking back down. Nicole sighed, walking over to the sink and glancing over at the half-full pot of coffee sitting there. Her eyebrows raised, and she turned her head to look at the sophomore. “Am I gonna get beat if I take some coffee?” 

She raised her head to look at her with a slightly hard jaw as she slowed the chew of her cereal. “No.” 

“M’kay.” She reached up and opened the cabinet, opting for the one over when she didn’t see any cups in that one. She smirked slightly as she took out  _ definitely Wynonna’s  _ “Roast and Toast” coffee mug that  _ also  _ doubled as a bong of some sort? 

“You might get beat if you use her cup, though.” 

Nicole turned her head again, smirk still evident. “I’d like to see her try.” The brunette rolled her eyes and she looked back, pouring herself some coffee and taking a seat at the opposite end of the table, pulling her phone out of her pocket and unlocking it. 

She glanced up at the brunette as she took a sip of the magical bean juice, seeing the dark circles under her eyes and the way her body was slightly shaking from the way she was tapping her foot under the table, not to mention the frown plastered on her face. She wasn’t sure if she had things to do so she was up early on a  _ Saturday  _ or she just couldn’t sleep, but she figured the latter seeing that Chrissy seemed to still be sleeping upstairs. She really did feel bad for her, and if she wasn’t at risk to be put away again she would for sure go show her child of a boyfriend a piece of her mind. 

But, after all, it wasn’t her business. She shouldn’t even know about it. But she did. And she felt bad about that, too.

Waverly felt her eyes on her after a second, so she looked up with a small glare. “Can I help you?” She regretted her tone right as she saw the flash of hurt flash across the redhead’s face. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, looking back down and crossing her ankles under the table. Her finger anxiously swiped back and forth on her home screen for a beat before she continued, “You just look sad, is all.” She raised her head again with a small wrinkle of concern in her brow, and she saw fear on the girl’s face. 

The brunette quickly rose from her seat and grabbed her cereal bowl, rushing around the table towards the sink. She went to drop it in it, but in her spastic movements, she misjudged how high she needed to lift her arm, and hit it on the side of the counter. It knocked it out of her hands and shattered on impact when it hit the tiles. “ _ Shit _ .” Her hand clapped over her mouth, and the other clenched, tapping against her side as her eyes widened down at the glass covering the floor. “Oh my God.” She felt her throat starting to close in on itself as the tears pushed their way into her eyes. Panic rose in her chest, and the hand at her side quickly came up and grabbed the shirt there, squeezing it until her knuckles turned white. “ _ Fuck _ .” A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks as she bent down and shakily began to try and pick up the shards of glass. 

Nicole got out of her seat and rushed over, squatting down and taking her hands, pulling whatever she had picked up in her haste out and dropping it back to the floor. “Don’t. You’re gonna cut yourself, Wave,” she mumbled as she stood her upright and backed her up a bit to make sure her bare feet didn’t step on anything either. “Hey. It’s just a bowl. You’re fine.” Waverly snapped her wide, teary eyes up to her’s, seeing the true worry in their softness. 

Nicole  _ swore  _ she was having deja vu as she watched the first sob push out from the younger girl’s chest, opening the doors for the rest on it’s way out. She swallowed as she felt her own arms move, wrapping around her small frame before she even realized it. Waverly’s hands gripped the front of her Walmart uniform and she squeezed her a little tighter, pushing her face into the top of her head for a second as she let out a breath. She lifted it, deciding to just rest her chin on it as she pushed her hand through her hair calmingly. “It’s ok,” she whispered softly. “You’re ok, shh.” 

Just like before, Nicole had another gripping feeling of deja vu as she felt the younger girl’s smaller frame began to soothe as her cries quieted. Not too long after, Waverly shifted her head from being buried into the taller girl’s chest to now have only her cheek resting there as she let out her last sniffle. Stepping back ever so slightly, she looked back up at concerned brown eyes, searching for a hint of insincerity; there was none. All she saw was pure care and concern. Care and concern  _ for her _ . 

“I am.” The words fell from the brunette's lips effortlessly before she could even think twice about her answer to her set of soothes. There was no sense in denying it, for it was the truth. Dropping the loaded gaze, Waverly looked down to hide them warm smile that treacherously took over her features. She finished it off with a good rub of her eyes and nose before finally fully disconnecting from the redhead’s embrace. 

“You alright now?” Nicole asked with questioning eyes. 

“Yeah. Thank you.” The youngest Earp donned a smaller version of her ‘Waverly Smile’, but this time, it was genuine, unlike all the other times it was for appearances. “Sorry, I just . . . I have a lot going on right now.” She dared another glance up to the other girl’s eyes. 

It was Nicole’s turn to softly smile, more authentic than she would’ve like to show anyone, especially the Earp in front of her that gives her so much trouble. “. . . I know.” The older girl left it at that, hoping her eyes could say a thousand times more than she dared to verbally. 

It seemed her message wasn’t lost in translation once she saw the other girl’s face melt for the second time this morning. However, this time there were no tears, only pure, thankful eyes and a small but powerful grin. 

“You know, when you’re not giving me a hard time, you’re pretty alright, Waves.” Nicole chuckled when she saw the younger girl roll her eyes and cross her arms playfully across her chest. 

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t go thinking we’ll be BFFs. You already got my sister.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Waverly went from smiling to looking as if she saw a ghost with how pale she got. “Nicole. Don’t tell her about . . . you know. Please?” Eyes pleading, begging the older girl to not turn on her now. 

“Hey. Of course I won’t. It’s not my story to tell, anyway.” She watched as relief flooded the younger girl’s face. “And besides, you have to keep something for me too.” 

Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” 

“If you tell  _ anyone  _ I was nice to you,  _ especially  _ Wynonna, I’m gonna have to kill you.” The redhead put her hands up in defense. “Sorry, I don’t make the rules.” 

The brunette chuckled as she went to grab a dustpan and broom, “I  _ really  _ don’t think anyone would believe me if I did, Nic.” 

The girls went to work cleaning up the spill on the floor, just casually chatting and joking around with one another. It was a weird but welcomed change of pace from their normal interactions, aside from the  _ almost  _ making out parts. They didn’t even notice when the oldest Earp sauntered down the stairs, leaning on the railing as if she was holding it up. “Morning, Cinderella,” she teased her sister who was holding the broom. She didn’t see her friend at first. “What, being the good one in school and the town sweetheart isn’t enough? You gotta wake up at the ass crack of dawn and clean the house to really make me look like an asshole, too?” Wynonna’s smirk never faltered, even after she saw a tuft of red locks peek up from the floor. “Ah, and I see you have one of your working mice, too!” 

“Watch it, Earp. I haven’t finished my coffee yet, and I’m holding shards of glass,” her friend warned as she stood to her feet. 

“Fair enough.” She watched as her little sister went back to cleaning, and only looked back to Nicole and when saw her lean back onto the counter, a very special mug in her hands. “Hey! Are you using my mug, Haught?!” 

Waverly looked up from sweeping, raising her eyebrows. “Told ya.” 

The redhead smirked up at Wynonna as she took another swig of coffee. “Oh yeah,” she sighed, “but  _ so  _ not the way I would’ve wanted to use it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Mommy  
> JONK  
> SNOR BITCHE
> 
> Ah yes, two dreams and then the real thing :))


	9. You Know The Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work shenanigans  
> then a party?  
> then someone getting put in their place?  
> Then? More things? 
> 
> Hop on for the ride!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> El Queef:  
> Hey guys! It's almost 8 PM on Tuesday here, so it's a Tuesday upload, nonetheless!  
> Solace and I are really sorry about the skip last Tuesday. We both got a lot going on right now, and by the time Tuesday came, we hadn't a thing written. We're gonna try and get back on track here, but you might need to give us an upload or two to get back up to that top shelf quality that y'all love oh so dearly.  
> But putting all that aside, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I know Solace had fun writing a *certain* part.  
> Alas, it is her specialty, what can I say?
> 
> Solace:  
> Yo guys, fittingly enough, this note is a day late so those of you whom already read the chapter won’t even see this but I feel like I owe both queef and all you guys a sincere apology. To be completely transparent with all of you if I may, I’m not only going through a breakup but I’m also now processing and grieving a death. Life’s really trying it for me right now but it’s no excuse for me to be so MIA and produce such poor quality. I promise to all of you, and my dear friend Queef, that from here on out I’m going to try like hell to be better. I appreciate you all very deeply for sticking by us and believing in our little shit show, thank you 🖤
> 
> chapter's been edited 2/6/21

**January 15th, 2019 6:24 PM**

Nicole shoved the last pack of water bottles up onto the shelf, turning her head at the sound of footsteps stopping next to her. She gave the older woman who was approaching her a smile. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah. D'you happen to know where the _rompers_ are at? It said on your website that you guys have them, but I can’t seem to find them.”

Nicole stared at her for a second to try and keep herself from rolling her eyes. The woman was looking for _clothes_ in the _food section._ “Yeah, uh, they’re over in the women’s section,” she informed.

“Where’s that at?”

“. . . Under the big sign that says Women’s.” Nicole pointed in it’s general direction. 

The woman turned her head and Nicole saw the realization hit her, for she apparently hadn’t seen the sign until then. She looked back at Nicole, squinting at her as she traced her eyes up and down her body. “Those are permanent, you know.” 

Nicole cocked a brow, “What?” 

“Those tattoos,” she repeated, flicking her eyes to her neck and sleeve.

Nicole blinked at her before crossing her arms, leaning her hip against the shelves. The small hint of a face under all the caked-on makeup must not have realized what a _day_ she had. If her car not starting in the morning before she left The Homestead and needing a jump from Curtis, slicing the side of her hand open with her pocket knife cutting the plastic off a shipment, _and_ someone stealing her lunch within _five_ minutes of her buying it and setting it on the table in the break room _hadn’t_ pushed her buttons to the extreme, _this woman_ certainly had. 

“Yes. I am aware they are permanent,” she said boredly with a sigh. 

“How old even _are_ you?” 

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “I’m a _minor,_ so I _really_ don’t think you should be asking me that.”

A snobby look pushed onto her face, and she let out a scoff, “Well, you are _definitely_ too young to marking yourself up like that.” 

“And _you_ are _definitely_ too old to be wearing a romper, yet here we are.” The words were out of Nicole's mouth before she could stop them. Her face paled slightly, but she kept her eyebrows raised to prove her point.

The woman let out an offended gasp, face darkening in anger. “Where the _hell_ is you manager!?” 

Nicole pursed her lips, pulling her walkie talkie off of the pocket of her pants. “Hey, Miles?” 

“Miles here.” 

“Hey, it’s Nicole. Some lady wants to complain about me to you. I’m in aisle 18 by the water.” 

“M'kay, I’m on my way.” 

“Ok, thanks.” 

She hooked it back on her pocket and dared a glance at the woman as she turned to lean back on the shelves, crossing her ankles with a sigh. The look of anger on her face was almost amusing, but Nicole was also kind of scared of the shit show she was sure she was about to start.

Her boss turned the corner, body just as lanky and afro just as poofy as normal. He came to a stop in front of them and pushed his hands into his pockets. “What seems to be the problem, Ma’am?” he questioned with a smile. 

“She called me _old_ and was being _completely_ disrespectful,” she huffed. 

His eyes widened slightly and he looked towards the redhead. She rolled her eyes and he tipped his head at her. “D’you call her old, Haught?” 

“Yeah, but-”

He put his hand up to stop her, turning his head back towards the woman. “Why’d she call you old, Ma’am?” 

“She said I was too _old_ to want to wear a romper.” 

_“Because_ you said that I was _too young_ to be _marking_ myself,” she added in her own defense, poking her sleeve. "Don't change the story, Lady."

Miles looked towards the woman. “Is that true?” 

She clenched her jaw, shifting her weight as she crossed her arms. “Well, it's not my fault they make her look like a _thug.”_

Nicole quickly pushed off the shelf, standing to her full height with a fiery look in her eye. The woman took a quick step back. “Oh, you wanna see _thug,_ huh?-” Miles put his arm out in front of Nicole, throwing her a glare. “Aye. I ain’t gonna touch her.” 

He let out a pleading huff and she pursed her lips, leaning back again. He dropped his arm, gesturing for the woman to follow. “I’m very sorry, Ma’am. I'll be sure to have a talk with her . . .” His voice faded as he continued down the aisle, pointing her in the right direction for the rompers when they reached the end. He turned and walked back to her with a knowing look. 

“Look, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said that-” 

“Haught.” 

She paused, furrowing her brows at him. “What?”

“I’m not gonna lecture you. People are annoying, I get it. Just try _not_ to be an asshole, ok?” 

“Wh- I’m not in trouble?” Nicole questioned in confusement. 

“No, you’re good, Kid,” he said with a smile. “Take that cart back and take your break to cool off a little.” She nodded, still a little confused, but smiled anyways. Miles turned and pulled his phone out of his pocket, heading around the corner to attend to other business.

Nicole headed out the front doors, fast-walking towards her car across the parking lot to get out of the cold. All she wanted to do was head across the street to get something to eat and dig for one of the singular cigarettes she had hidden in certain places around her car from the pack she had stolen out of Wynonna’s truck that morning. She’d be in a heap of trouble if her probation officer decided to search her car and found a pack, so she knew the exact places to hide things. 

She slowed her roll a bit, seeing a familiar truck parked next to her’s. She furrowed her brows as she approached Gus, who was leaning back on her hood. The older woman looked up after hearing her approach, and she gave her a kind smile as she stood up straight.

“Hi . . .” Nicole said slowly, almost in question. “S’everything alright?” 

“Everything’s great,” she confirmed. She turned and picked up the pizza box that had been sitting next to her on the hood. “I brought ya dinner.”

Nicole tipped her head at her. “Gus, you didn’t have-” 

_“Girl,_ I'ma put a dent in your car if you tell me I ain't gotta do something again. C’mon.” She waved her over, and Nicole sighed, climbing into the passenger’s seat of her truck. Gus plopped the box on her lap, and her eyes widened at Nicole's gauze-wrapped left hand. She snatched it up. “What in God’s name did you do?!” 

“It’s nothin’. I nicked it cutting something open earlier,” Nicole mumbled, waving it off. 

_“It’s nothin'-_ You sound like my husband. Unwrap it, lemme see.” 

Nicole was going to object, but with the look she got, she knew better. She pursed her lips with a sigh as she pulled the tape off and tugged the part of the gauze that was now stuck to it, looking down at it with slightly widened eyes. Maybe it was a _little_ deeper than she remembered it being. 

_“Lord,”_ Gus grumbled, reaching across her lap and pulling the glove box open. She grabbed a first aid kit and pulled a little bottle of glue out. 

“What is _that?”_

“Surgical glue. Gimme. I’m not letting you walk around with a hole in ya.” 

Nicole complied, turning her hand palm up and setting it in Gus'. She winced a bit as the cold liquid touched the wound, face scrunching when Gus pinched it together with one hand to get it to stick, the other putting the lid back on and tossing the first aid kit back in the glovebox. Gus let go after a minute or two of lecturing her about _losing her damn hand from an infection._ “There. Good as new.” 

Nicole looked it over. “Thanks,” she mumbled with a little laugh. Gus gave her a smile, and Nicole opened the pizza box, pulling a slice out before offering it to her. “D’you just go and buy us a pizza or something?” she asked through a partial mouthful. 

“No. I stole it from the _10_ boxes Waverly bought.” She handed her one of the soda cans that was sitting in the cupholders. “I dunno if you heard, but she’s having all the cheerleaders over for the night.” 

Nicole raised her brows as she took a drink to hide a grin. “I did _not_ hear about that.” 

“You leave them alone, now,” Gus warned. 

Nicole laughed with a huff, “I ain’t gonna mess with them! That’s Nonna’s job.” 

Gus shot her a look. “You know what I mean.” Nicole’s eyes widened and her cheeks went bright red. “While we’re on _this subject,_ time for some rules.-”

_“I_ did not volunteer to be on _this subject,”_ Nicole interrupted, pointing at her with crust. 

“I don’t give a _rat’s ass._ I had the same talk with Wynonna and Waverly, 'n now that you live with us, you’re getting it, too. _Especially_ after the stunt you pulled last night.” Gus glanced towards her with a tiny smirk to let her know she wasn't being reprimanded.

Nicole sunk in her seat a bit, hiding a smirk of her own. “Fine.” 

“M'kay. First, don’t lie to me. You can lie to whoever you want- Hell, you can even lie to _Curtis_ if you want, but do _not_ lie to me because I _will_ know. I’m sure Wynonna informed you of my lie detector powers, did she not?” 

“She did.” 

“I thought so . . . If you’re goin' somewhere, I wanna know where you're going and when you'll be back. Your curfew'll be determined with the situation. And if you sneak out, I can have the whole town looking for you in five minutes, so don’t try it.” Nicole slowly nodded. “Next.” Gus took a bite of her pizza, throwing her foot over her knee. “No one is allowed over after dark unless we’ve approved it. No friends. No _friends_. Capiche?” 

“Capiche,” Nicole agreed.

“And you’re allowed to have _girls_ over, alright?-”

“Why do you assume I’m into _girls?”_ Nicole questioned, throwing her hand out as she tried to hide yet _another_ smirk. 

Gus shot her a look. “Darlin’, have you _seen_ yourself lately? You don’t particularly look like you're tryin' to bring all the _boys_ _to_ _your_ _yard_.”

She let out a little snort, “Fair enough.” 

“Anyway. You can have 'em over. _And_ in your room. But I swear on my life, if I _hear_ you, you will be my _slave_ for a month to heal my poor ears. You hear me?”

She nodded quickly, “Loud and clear.” 

“Good.” They ate silently for a minute, Nicole going for a round two of pizza. Gus finally spoke, quieter than she had been before. “If you’re gonna be mad at anyone for it, be mad at me, not her, but . . . I made Wynonna fill me in on your past. I wasn’t gonna have her bringin' some active criminal into our home. You understand that, don’t you?” 

Nicole looked over to her with her brow slightly furrowed, but she nodded anyway. “Yeah . . . I figured.” 

Gus met her eyes. _“Wynonna Earp’s_ my niece, so there's no way in hell I would judge you for what you did, especially so 'cause I know you weren’t just doing it to be doing it.” Nicole swallowed at the way she paused. “With that being said-”

“Gus, I swear to you, I don’t deal anymore. And I never will-”

“Hey,” she said gently, touching her arm. “I never said that you were or that you would 'cause I don’t _think_ you will . . . _But._ If you do and we find out, you’ve got _one_ chance. I don’t care who you're working for or if _it was just a one time thing_ \- No. None of that bull. You'll be on lockdown and we'll take everything. Whatever you were selling, your burner, and any of the money you made from it. Your lockdown will lift when we believe you won’t do it again. But if you do . . . I already have your probation officer’s number. And I _will_ call him. Are we clear?” 

Nicole swallowed, looking up at her guiltily even though she hadn’t done a thing nor did she plan to. “Yeah.”

Gus gave her arm a squeeze. “I’m not accusing you, ok? I really don’t think you will. You’re a good kid and I know that. But I told the same rules to Wynonna when she came home, so I’m gonna tell you the same thing.”

“I get it. It’s ok,” Nicole assured, giving her a small smile. 

Gus nodded, grabbing another slice of pizza out of the box on her lap. “I dunno if Nash told ya, but I talked to him, giving him a few rules, too. Nothing huge. I just expect him to listen to us, y’know, stuff like that. You’re still the top boss with him, and you have the final say with everything, but I ain’t gonna have him runnin’ round like a wild banshee.”

Nicole let out a little laugh into her pizza, “He’s a good kid. Usually listens, but he has his days. Just let me know if anything happens and I’ll make sure he learns his lesson.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. You've really raised 'em up good. He just might be the sweetest little thing I’ve ever met.” 

She shook her head with a smile and an eye roll, “Yeah, he’s sweet to _you_.”

“Well, I bet you are _sweet to me,_ too. Don’t start that,” Gus said through a laugh. 

They finished up their meal, chatting away about random stuff and laughing at Gus’ stories of young Wynonna. Nicole was really growing on her as she was to her. She was so easy to talk to and Nicole wasn’t quite used to that. 

Their laughter faded after a certain story of Wynonna getting herself stuck in a dryer, and Nicole wiped at her eyes with a shake of her head as she finished up the last of her soda. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, seeing that she had about eight minutes left of her dinner break. “I guess I better get going,” she said with a sad sigh. “. . . Thanks. For dinner and for giving me someone to bullshit with.” 

Gus smiled, looking up at the front of the building for a few seconds. “. . . I think it’d be best if you handed in your resignation letter sometime this weekend, Dear.” 

Nicole quickly furrowed her brows at her. “You want me to _quit?_ Why?” 

“You don’t need to be working your ass off anymore, and you _certainly_ don’t need to have every single weekend taken up. You’ve got a home now, Nicole. I know you like to have a couple of extra dollars in your pocket, and that’s why I talked to Curtis. He said he’ll start paying you if you help him out on the farm. God knows he needs it. Hell, he said he’ll even chuck a couple of bucks at that brother of yours if he chips in any.”

She chewed at her cheek as she thought it over. “What’s all that needs to be done?” Nicole was by no means a farm girl. She didn’t know a _thing_ about it. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t consider it. 

**9:24 PM**

“Woo! Let’s get this shit started, Waves!” an already half-tipsy Chrissy wailed out with a solo cup in hand. She had helped Waverly “set up” for the Cheer Bash that was now in full swing as all invited guests were there. 

“Chris, it’s _been_ started for like, an hour.” She looked towards her with raised brows as she realized just how drunk she was. “And you might've already had too much . . . which I don’t know if that’s impressive or depressing?” 

“Shhhhhh, Wave, Waves. Shh. Less judgy, more party.” Chrissy followed her wise words of the night with a loose dance with her hips and the careful bobbing of her hands, careful not to spill her party juice. 

Waverly couldn’t do much else but just laugh her friend off as she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Truth be told, she really didn’t want to be near alcohol right now, and of course, the universe would play it so cruel to make her little _situation_ on Champ’s birthday happen right before her big Cheer Bash. She had been planning it for _weeks_ on end so she couldn’t cancel last minute. No, _definitely_ not, considering that would mean screwing up the whole squad’s night of partying, and hell hath no fury like Stephanie Jones not being able to properly party. She just had to stick it out and just be the best hostess of Purgatory like she always was. 

“Hey there, Sexy.” The words were spoken first but registered second to the equally as bone-chilling sensation of meaty arms snaking around Waverly’s tiny waist. The mouth that the sleazy words came from curved up into a smile when her uncomfortable shutter was mistaken for a pleasant surprise. 

“Hey, Babe.” Waverly swallowed back her fear as she pat her boyfriend’s arms in an attempt to seem loving. 

Involuntarily, she moved her head more towards the side as the older boy sloppily kissed up and down her neck. “Thanks for throwing this little party, Baby. It’s like my birthday party part two. We had some fun during the first part, huh? You remember?” 

“Mhm.” That night made her feel like shit to think about, and even more guilty whenever she did. She was in the wrong anyway, right? 

“Why don’t we, uh, head on upstairs and have our _own_ little part two?” 

Waverly felt her stomach churn at just the _thought_ of that. “Uh . . .” She turned around in Champ's arms, resting her hands on his sides as he hugged her closer, sliding his hands down to her ass with a squeeze. “I would, Babe, but I told Gus and Curtis I would keep an eye on the party.” _Which she did._ But that was just an excuse.

He pouted his lip as he looked down at her. “Aw, Wave, c’mon. They’ll be _fine.”_

“Champ, I can’t. I’m sorry.” She shook her head with a pleading look on her face. “We can still have fun down here with everyone else?”

Her brow furrowed at the smirk that pushed onto Champ's face, _“Fun,_ aye?” 

“Well, I mean-” He cut her off when he planted his beer-flavored lips on her’s.

And the only thing that she could do was kiss back. 

Nicole leaned back in the counter in the kitchen, shoving her tongue along her top molars as she watched Waverly get felt up by Humpty Dumb-ty. She sure seemed _real_ upset about what had happened with him the other night. Well, from her view she did, at least. 

When Gus had told her that Waverly was having a party, she assumed it would be more of a _Girl’s Night_ type of thing. The _r_ _ager_ that was going on in the living room was definitely _not_ that. But she _also_ assumed that Gus and Curtis were hiding out at Shorty’s _unaware_ of the alcohol and _boys_ that had been smuggled in, but she was no snitch. And although she _loved_ a good rager (even if she rarely remembered them the morning after), she wasn’t quite _in the mood_ to participate. It wasn’t that she _wasn’t_ interested in hanging out with the 15 or so cheerleaders _in their uniforms_ that _weren’t_ already occupied by their jocky boy-toys, or that she was _angry._ _No,_ definitely _not._ No. She just couldn’t break the rules of her probation. And Nicole Haught didn’t party well without a little liquid courage, but it was unfortunately off the table.

Nicole pushed herself off the counter and popped the tab of the soda she grabbed, chugging half of it down before setting it down with the rest of the mess. She pushed past a few people that had wandered into the kitchen and turned to head upstairs. 

But a set of curves caught her eye. 

Her eyes slowly traced from the girl’s toned, tan legs up to her hips that pushed out against her _tight_ cheer skirt. Her waist tapered thinly, only to curve back out with her chest. And _, damn,_ a girl had a rack _and_ an ass. She had a body like a backroad, and Nicole _wouldn’t_ be opposed to taking a _trip_ down her curves. 

Nicole licked her lips, leaning back against the doorframe, watching the bleach blonde laugh into her cup as she talked with a couple of other girls. She tipped the drink back, looking down at it after with a furrowed brow. Nicole smirked as she watched her look up at her friends, reading her lips as she said, “I’ll be right back.” 

_Not if she had anything to do with it._

The cheerleader turned and walked her way, not catching Nicole's eye until she was all but a few feet away from her.

And with the way she dipped her head after she caught the look Nicole shot her, she knew it was fair game.

Nicole smirked, rounding the corner into the now otherwise deserted kitchen. The girl put her cup under the nozzle of the orange water cooler that one of the jocks had snuck in that had God knows _what_ in it. Nicole made her footsteps known as she walked up behind her, putting her hands on either side of the counter around her. She grinned at the way she heard her suck in a breath as she stood up straight. “What’re you doin?” Nicole questioned through a slight husk.

The cheerleader raised the cup to her lips, turning her head slightly, just enough so she could see her face out of the corner of her eye. “Mm. Depends.” 

Nicole raised a brow, cocking her head to the side. “Depends?” 

“Depends on what you want me to do,” she answered with a smirk, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth. 

Nicole shoved her hips forward as a low growl crawled up her throat, pinning the front of the girl’s hips against the counter. “That’s a very _loaded_ statement, Sweetheart,” she muttered right next to her ear. 

The blonde tipped her head back to rest on the redhead’s shoulder as she finished off what was in her cup for the second time, wiggling her butt back into her with a smirk as she did so and feeling Nicole's hands slip to grip onto her hips. “I know.” She set the cup down and turned around, flicking the Walmart name tag on her chest. _“Nicole.”_

“You’ve got a name, too, don’t ya?” she asked as the girl ran her finger lightly over one of the gears on her arm. 

She raised her eyes up to Nicole's. “Tori.”

Nicole tugged the corner of her lip into her mouth with her tongue when she saw her eyes dart down for a second. “Well, Tori. I think you should, uh . . .” she dropped her voice, glancing from her green-blue eyes to her pink-lipsticked lips, _“follow me.”_

Tori smirked as Nicole pushed off of her and turned towards the exit of the room, pausing as she searched her eyes around for a second before continuing, climbing over the chair that had a “Do Not Enter” sign on it in front of the stairs. 

“Aren’t we not supposed to go up here?” Tori asked as she jogged up them to catch up to Nicole's two-step climb.

“You have permission because I live here,” she said, turning her head when she got to the top with a wink. 

“You live here?” 

“Yup.” She cracked the door of her and her brother's room, sticking her head in with a smile. “You good, Bug?”

“It’s loud,” he grumbled in complaint. 

“I know . . . Nonna’ll be here any minute to shut it down, don’t worry.” She gave him one last smile before pulling her head out and closing the door. 

She grabbed Tori's wrist and tugged her towards Waverly’s room, shoving the door open and pulling her in. She slammed it and shoved her against it by the hips as she connected their lips. 

Tori let out a moan into her mouth, looping her arms around her neck. “This is a bad idea,” she muttered into her lips. 

“Probably,” Nicole agreed with a small grin. She reached down and lifted her by the thighs, sliding her hands back to grip her ass when the girl locked her ankles around her back. It was quite honestly easier to reach her lips at this height than at her standing height. Tori grabbed a handful of Nicole’s hair, tipping her head sideways and sinking her teeth into the anchor on her neck. Nicole let out a loud groan as her eyes spun back in her head. She slippped her hands back under her thighs as she pulled her off the door and carried her across the room, dropping her onto the bed. 

Nicole ripped the glasses off of her face and tossed them onto the nightstand before pouncing on her, reaching her hand down and jerking the bottom of Tori's skirt up so she was able to slot her thigh in between her legs. “Shit,” Tori breathed, sliding her hands down her body as Nicole rolled her hips down into her with a smirk.

As Nicole predicted, under the sound of the music blaring downstairs and their heaving breaths, they could hear Wynonna having a fit downstairs. 

**9:36 PM**

Champ made an attempt to slip his hand down the back of Waverly’s skirt, but she grabbed his wrist and placed his hand back on her hip as he slowly walked her towards the wall. Her back hit it and he pulled back from her mouth with a sad huff. “Why don’t you _ever_ let me touch you, Baby?” 

Her eyes traced over his pout as she searched for an answer. “There’re so many people here, Champ.” 

“So?” 

“So I don’t want everyone watching you _feel me up.”_

She watched as he tried to hide an eye roll, dipping his head again. _"~_ _so damn difficult,”_ she heard from his mumbled before he met her lips. 

Waverly pushed him back with a scoff. _“I’m_ the difficult one?” she questioned with an unamused laugh. 

“Yeah, you are. You barely let me do _anything._ It’s not fair.” 

Her eyes widened at him. “Oh, so now my feelings don’t matter? Is that what you are saying?”

His brow furrowed sadly. “Wh- No, Wave. That’s not what I mean-” 

She shook her head, pushing against his chest. “No, you know what?-”

A look of puppy dog hurt came over his face. “No, Baby, Baby, I’m sorry. Don’t.” He squeezed his hands tighter into her waist to keep her from slipping away like she was trying. 

“I don’t care. Let me go.” She looked up at him with demanding eyes as she tried to pry his hands off of her, but he kept them put. “Champ, _seriously._ I don’t want to deal with you until you’re sober.” 

“Noo,” he whined, pushing slobbery kisses all over her face. “I’m sorry.” 

She tried to twist her head away. “Champ! What by _get off me_ do you not understand?!” She gave his shoulders one more push and was filled with relief when she felt his mass release her from the wall. 

But watching him get slammed into it beside her by her sister was _not_ what she expected. 

Wynonna flicked a blade against the boy-man’s throat. “That’s a _good_ question. What by _get off her_ did you _not_ understand? 'Cause to me she sounded like she made herself _pretty damn clear_ that she didn’t want your _fat fingers_ all over her!” 

“I-I-I’m sorry, Wynonna. I-”

She pushed her body closer to him as somehow _more_ anger stormed her face by the scent of his breath. “Where the _hell_ did you get booze, huh? D’you break into the liquor cabinet?!” 

“N-No. B-Train brought it,” he stammered out, keeping his head up to stay clear of the knife. 

Wynonna's head snapped towards her sister. “Did you know about this, Waverly?” 

Her mouth came open. “I, uh-”

Wyonna's eyes hardened and she snapped her head back to Champ. “Get _you,_ your _booze,_ and your _circle jerk_ buddies _out_ of my damn house, and if one of them objects, make sure to remind them that my _foot_ has the power to _invert their dick.”_

Wynonna pushed off of the man-child and watched as he scurried off to do as he was told. She turned her head and closed in on her sister.

“Nonna, I’m sorry-”

Wynonna shoved her back. “You’re _sorry?!_ Waverly, do you know what would happen if this _shit_ got busted while I was here?! I would get _arrested!_ And _so_ would you!” Waverly's face saddened. “You are _so_ much better than this!” Wynonna pulled her hand off her chest where she had been pushing her against the wall, shaking her head as she looked around. _"_ _God,_ _so_ _much_ _better,”_ she muttered before meeting her eyes. “Your friends can stay, but pull some _shit_ like this again and I’m telling Gus and Curtis. Do you understand me?” 

Waverly nodded with a swallow and teary eyes. “Yeah.” 

Wynonna let out one last disappointed sigh before stepping back from her with another shake of her head, flicking the lights on and turning the stereo down before storming out of the front door to get some air. 

Waverly slowly peeled her back from the wall and walked over to the group of confused cheerleaders. “Party’s over,” she mumbled. “You guys can go if you want, I guess.”

A couple of them looked between one another before turning towards the door, leaving her standing with only the ones she was actually friends with. 

“I’m sorry,” Waverly sighed as she rubbed her hands up and down her face. “She told me she was staying at Doc’s tonight.”

“Wave, it’s ok,” Chrissy assured with a drunken smile. “We had fun while it lasted.” 

She gave a little shrug, looking around at all their faces. Her brow furrowed slightly when she noticed one of them was missing. “Did Tori leave with Champ?” 

They all looked between one another. “I didn’t see her go,” Poppy said with a confused brow. 

“Yeah, neither did I,” Chrissy added.

“I saw her go upstairs a little bit ago.” 

Everyone turned their heads towards Beth Gardner. She was the one who seemed to have gotten the _normal_ genes out of the Gardner siblings. 

“What?” Waverly asked, cocking a brow at the sophomore. 

“With Nicole. I think they snuck off together.” 

Waverly's’s eyes popped out before her face hardened. _“Oh, she’s so dead.”_ She whipped around and stormed for the stairs, climbing over the chair and marching up them. She swung Nicole’s door open, face falling after seeing Nash watching TV, sitting on the floor. 

“What?” he questioned, seeming to have been startled by her entrance. 

“Where is your sister?” He gave her a shrug. She was _about_ to ask something else, but the sound of a moan from the room over threw that question out the window.

 _Her_ room over.

_“I swear,”_ she muttered as she pulled the door closed and moved to her own, smacking it open. 

Nicole quickly detached her mouth from Tori's collarbone and removed her fingers from tugging down the waistband of her skirt, looking towards the blurry, but _obviously_ furious brunette staring them down from the doorway. 

_“SERIOUSLY,_ NICOLE?!” Waverly shouted, throwing her arms out in front of her. 

Tori pushed Nicole off her off of her and scrambled off the bed with her hand over her mouth. “Waves, I’m sorry. I didn’t wan-” 

“Tor, I know _damn_ good and well this was _not_ your idea because _you’re not_ a horndog _asshole.”_ She shot a pointed glare towards Nicole as she felt around on her nightstand for her glasses. “Just-” She let out a breath. “Go down there with everyone. They’re staying the night.” 

“No, I should probably go . . .”

“Really, Tor, it’s fine. You’re stuck here, anyway. Champ took your car.” 

Tori’s face hardened and she rolled her eyes. “Dad’s gonna _kill_ him.” She moved past Waverly with a sigh, and Waverly shifted her eyes to glare at Nicole, who was looking down as she picked at her fingers.

Nicole looked up at her after a few seconds of thick silence, eyes drifting behind her at the sight of the other cheerleader still standing there with a smirk on her face. Tori raised her hand and gave the phone in it a wiggle. Nicole's hand went directly to her pocket, seeing that it was _her_ phone. Her eyes snapped back up to Tori's, and Tori held a hand phone call sign up to her head with another shake to her phone, shooting her a wink as she quickly set it on the floor outside Nicole’s room and snuck away from the doorway _right_ as Waverly turned her head that way. 

Nicole regained her composure and stood up, pushing her hands into her pockets as she went to move past her. “Welp-”

Waverly grabbed her door handle and slammed the door shut, preventing her from her much-wanted exit. The murder in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed to the older girl, but it wasn’t taken as a threat. 

_“Waverly.”_ Nicole’s voice was slow and warning. She raised her brow slightly as she continued to participate in the staring match. 

_“What. The. Fuck. Nicole?!”_

“Well, there was no _fuck_ because you _kinda_ came in an-“

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Again, Nicole was not scared of Waverly, but rather surprised at the absolute _gasket_ she was blowing. Waverly kept moving forward, causing Nicole to step back until her calves hit the bed frame. “Just fucking _shut up_ and _listen!”_

The _womanizer_ crossed her arms, now wearing a particularly pissed off face of her own as she was losing her patience. _“Listening,_ Princess.” 

“First off, how fucking _dare_ you come to _my_ party, one you weren’t even _invited-”_

Daring to put a finger up in front of the absolute _feral_ brunette, Nicole interrupted her. “I live here.” 

“I _know,”_ Waverly snarled slightly in her rage. “Don’t remind me. Back to what I was saying, you _asshole!_ You come to _my_ party and start messing around in _my_ room?! Do you know how fucking _gross_ that is? And, oh, to top it _ALL_ off, not only were you messing around in _MY_ room, but you were messing with _my_ _boyfriend’s_ _little sister_?!” 

The last sentence was telling to Nicole since she hadn't known Tori was a Hardy. She had to be adopted, Nicole presumed, for there was no way a girl that _bad_ could _ever_ be related to that gross excuse of a man. Alas, that was the least of her problems right now. Her attention was brought back to the present as the shorter girl in front of her got impossibly closer, almost knocking her back onto her bed as she yelled in her face some more. 

“-I can’t _believe_ I ever thought you were anything more than a _gross_ fuckboy! But for, like, girls! A fuckgirl!” 

Nicole chuckled dryly as she cleared her throat.

It was her turn.

She started moving forward, and this time Waverly was the one forced to move back until her back hit the door. Stopping right in front of her, Nicole bared her teeth ever so slightly as she began, “Are you done with all that? Done with acting like I’m the _worst_ _fucking_ _person_ in this room, and that _you’re_ the _victim?”_ Although she wanted to slam it, Nicole simply brought her hand up to rest on the door above the other girl’s head. She flexed her muscles whilst she did so, making sure the other girl knew who was _really_ in control in this moment, for it _certainly_ wasn’t her. 

All Waverly could do is swallow hard and try really hard not to show the fear that crept up on her as she looked into the cold, angry eyes that were staring intensely at her. She couldn’t, unfortunately, mask the audible gasp that escaped her lips as her breath hitched in surprise and nervousness. 

“Isn’t that what you are? You’re just _little baby Waverly_ who’s never done wrong! Little baby Waverly, Purgatory’s little fucking _saint . . ._ You wanna play victim? Fine. You go _right_ ahead. But just so we’re clear on who’s _actually_ at risk here, let me _fucking_ remind you!” That time, Nicole _did_ smack her hand on the door.

Nicole pushed off of it and backed up until there was enough room in between them. Pointing in the direction of her room, she continued, “Yeah, _okay?_ I _know._ It wasn’t cool of me to mess around in _your_ room, but let’s remember why I had to. My _brother_ is hunkered down in my room right now, _scared_ of the noise your _rowdy_ _ass_ guests were making, hungry and _probably_ thirsty too cause he’s too _terrified_ to go downstairs. It’s been such a fucking nice day out for once and I bet he had to be couped up in there all day, huh? Just so you could have this stupid fucking party! But wait, there’s more! If you don’t care about the kid in the next room, maybe you’ll care to hear what would happen to your _wonderful_ older sister if someone _snitched_ on you!” 

Seeing Waverly cross her arms and look away from her while she was still talking to her only enraged Nicole more- enough to make her start warlking towards her again without even realizing. Soon, Nicole was back nose to nose with her and finally had her eyes back on her. She glared back into them as she took in a shaky breath in before starting back up low and eerily even. “You _always_ like to make me out to look like the worst thing that could happen to Wynonna. Like I’m going to get her in trouble and she’ll get taken again. You always like to make _me_ seem like the bad guy. But this? _This_ could have had her sent back away. _This_ could’ve erased _all_ the hard work that girl did to claw her way back _out_ of addiction and back _onto_ her feet. You could’ve gotten your sister taken away again for _this_. And you won’t care, but you could’ve gotten _me_ taken away like this, too. And I worked too damn _fucking_ hard to be here and I am _not_ going back. For my sake. For _Nash’s_ sake . . . If you got caught, in this house, with all that underaged drinking and the _no doubt_ presence of some type of drugs, you would’ve been _single-handedly_ responsible for me, Wynonna, and Nash’s _shitty fucking fate_. So you go ahead and think about that, Waverly. Think about that, and then tell me who you think the _fucking_ _victim_ is here.” 

Through teary eyes and shaky lips, Waverly looked up at Nicole’s red and enraged face, barely three inches in front of her own, with absolute sorrow and guilt in her eyes. She wanted to fight back. Tell her to go fuck herself. That she had _no right_ to do this. But Nicole was right. She was right, and Waverly _knew_ it. It was _her_ fault and she didn’t think about _anyone_ but _herself._

But she’d be damned if she didn’t get the last word. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” 

Nicole was ready to snap back, so she was taken _completely_ off guard with her admission. She even stepped back slightly as she looked down upon the girl with now-confused eyes. 

“You’re right,” Waverly repeated with a shaky breath and a one-shouldered shrug. “I fucked up. I didn’t care about anything else but the party. I didn’t _want_ a full out _rager_ , but I didn’t stop the girls from turning it into one. I didn’t _want_ the boys to come over, but I didn’t close the door on them when they showed up. I didn’t _want_ the booze and I didn’t _supply_ it, but I didn’t stop them when they brought it in. And I didn’t _want_ things to get so out of hand, but I was too _fucking_ _pathetic_ to do anything about it. And . . ." Her voice trailed off as she sniffled and looked deeply into the brown eyes on her. “. . . And I’m sorry.” 

Nicole had decided in that _very_ moment that she had never felt confusion in her life before that moment. Here she had just yelled at Waverly, someone who _usually_ bites back and threatens her with Champ or Wynonna. She yelled at her, and instead of threats or firing back, she said _sorry?_ To say she’d been taken aback and was at a loss for words would be a _complete_ understatement. “Yeah?” She didn’t mean for it to come out so condescending and cold, but she couldn’t stop it from oozing out as so. 

“Yeah.” The room then fell silent as Waverly moved out of the way from blocking the door, clearly sending the message that Nicole was finally free to go. However, when she went to go and take the opportunity, she was stopped by a hand grabbing and spinning her, then pinning her to said door. “And maybe I didn’t make myself _clear_ the first time. You have _no_ _right_ to speak that way to me. _Ever._ I don’t care _who_ you are, or _who_ you know. _Never_ speak to me that way.” 

Nicole wasn’t even surprised at this point, more so bored. She slightly scoffed as she looked down at the arm pressed roughly against her throat. “It needed to be said. I’m not sorry for saying it.” She watched as Waverly's eyes never changed from sad and distant, even after her apparent flash anger. 

“I know it did. And I know no one was going to say it. That’s why I’m not upset that you did. But I want it to be made _crystal fucking clear_ that you’re never gonna treat me this way again. Or-”

Nicole let out a laugh. “Or what? You’ll sic Champ on me? Wynonna? _Please.”_

“No. Or I’ll show you what a real victim is.”

What she said wasn’t the part that actually scared Nicole, but rather the creepy, even tone in which she did. It was hollow, slow, and promising. Nothing in her tone said there was a hint of the real, normal Waverly. The perky, full of life Earp was missing altogether, and _that_ was the scariest part. 

“. . . Understood. Now let go of me.” Nicole let a beat pass as she waited until she saw some of the familiar cheerleader sparkle to come back into her eyes. She waited for _Waverly_ to come back before starting to squirm to get out of her grip.

“One more thing. Don’t you _ever_ use my space for _anything_ fucking _nasty_ ever again, okay? This is _not_ yours to use!” She retracted her arm from Nicole’s throat as she watched her roll her eyes. 

“Oh come on, Princess. We both know you’re just mad that it wasn’t _you_ under me.” Nicole didn’t stick around for the next outburst Waverly may have after her little comment, so she dusted her shoulders off and slipped through the door. Hearing the door slam back shut behind her made her chuckle as she went to retrieve her phone from the floor. She opened it, immediately heading to her messages. A large grin crept onto her face as she read over the latest one- the one that Tori had sent to herself on it. But the one she had gotten back from her from Tori's _own_ number was just as pleasing.

**Nicole ;): Meet me outside. 3 AM sharp**

**Hottie wit a Boddie 🍑: Don't keep me waiting…**

**Nicole ;): Wouldn’t dream of it, Babe**

**Hottie wit a Boddie 🍑: I have a feeling u won't be doing much dreaming tonight anyways. I’ll have you busy**

**Nicole ;): Oh but with the way I work my tongue, ur gonna think u were**

Nicole made her way down the steps, glancing up as she heard Tori's phone ding in her hand from her spot next to Poppy on the couch. She smirked at the way her eyes bugged out of her head, shooting her a wink when she slowly raised her head to meet her eyes. Nicole’s smirk only widened as she saw both her _and_ Poppy react as if it was to them, one twirling their hair and the other batting their eyelids and biting their lip. 

Nicole shook her head with a chuckle as she looked back down at her phone as she walked towards the front door. 

**Stud 👅: I’ll take a turn pulling that hair for u Monday night if ur free**

**Flowers: Only if I can leave my bite marks on that anchor too 👀 😉**

**Stud 👅: Oh Baby like I could say no to that**

Nicole looked up once more to see a red-faced Poppy shaking her head at her phone before pushing the front door open and stepping out into the cold night air with a slight touch to the side of her neck. 

The sound of a long, drawn-out sigh pointed her in the direction to look down at the steps in front of her to see her bestie for the restie blowing a cloud of smoke to the sky. She flicked the hood of her jacket over her head and plopped down beside her with a grunt, leaning her back against the railing so she was facing her. “Can I get some of that?” 

“Some or all?” Wynonna questioned, turning her head towards her as she flicked some ashes in her direction.

_“Gimme it,”_ she grumbled, snatching the _obviously Doc-rolled_ cigarette out of her hand and taking a pull. 

“Who’s got _you_ smoking?” Wynonna asked, crossing her arms over her knees and leaning her chin on them. 

Nicole blew her smoke upward so she didn’t choke Wynonna out as she handed it back. “Waverly . . . You?” 

She let out a little huff of a laugh. “Waverly, too. What’d she do to you?” 

“Well. She put you in danger with her dumbass stupid party. Not to mention how she stressed Nash out and basically locked him in our room all day. What about you, huh?” 

Wynonna blew her lung full out slowly, offering it back over. “She put us _both_ in danger with that party- not _just_ me. And it just pissed me the fuck off that she’s still with Chum Bucket.” She was quiet for a beat as she shook her head. “She’s just so much better than him. So much better than _all of it.”_ She pulled a little too roughly at a string on the rip at the knee of her jeans, making it unravel a little more than it already was. “Makes me _fucking_ crazy.” 

Nicole let the sound of her voice finish echoing off the open land before taking a long draw of the strong tobacco. She let herself enjoy the fiery burn for a couple of seconds before letting it out and handing it over to the fuming brunette. Her eyes traced over the icicles hanging off the gutter above her head for a minute before she let out a sigh, “I yelled at her for it.”

“. . . So you _do_ have a death wish?” 

Nicole let out a small scoff, letting her head fall forward so she could look at her. _“No._ I’m not afraid of you, Earp. That’s why I’m telling you I did it.”

Wynonna turned and leaned back against the opposite railing, raising her brows at her. _“Normally_ this is the part where I say I’m giving you a ten-second headstart to running before I shove some lead up your ass, but . . . As much as I _love and adore_ my baby sister, I’m gonna go ahead and say she deserved it this time.”

“She did,” Nicole agreed without a second thought.

“But next time you do some shit like that, Haught? You’re dead.” Wynonna pulled the cancer stick out of her grip.

Nicole shrugged it off. “Fine with me. I’d do no different if it were Nash.” 

Wynonna nodded, glad that they were on the same page. She leaned her head back with a deep sigh, letting the quiet settle back over them for a minute.

Nicole finally spoke up, circling back to one o the points she had made before. “. . . I’m guessing you got a taste of the Champ and Waverly show tonight, too, then? Last I saw ‘em, they were eatin' face.” 

“Last _I_ saw them, Champ had her against the wall and wouldn’t get off her after she asked him to about 16 times. I had to rip him off her.” She took a pull before handing it over with a disgusted scowl on her face. 

Nicole’s eyes hardened as she resituated herself and took a _long_ pull, almost finishing it off then and there. 

“Dude . . .” Wynonna was going to complain, but with the look on her face, she decided against it. “What?” she questioned, confused by her sudden mood shift. 

Nicole shook her head. “Nothing,” she sighed as she blew it out, half through her nose, half through her mouth.

Wynonna squinted at her before smacking her foot. _“Haught._ I mention my sister and her meathead, and you shut off.” Nicole turned her head to look at her. “If you know something I don’t, I’d suggest you inform me of it.”

She pulled in the last bit of smoke, pushing herself to her feet and tossing it out into the yard. “I just think he’s a piece of shit she needs to get the _hell_ away from before she gets hurt . . . Nash needs dinner. I’ll see you in the morning, Earp.” She gave her an attempt at a tired smile and could tell she bought her deflection for the most part by the genuine smile and nod she got back. 

“Take it easy, Bud.” 

Nicole looked back at her before opening the door with a small smirk. “Y’all might need some earplugs hearin’ me _take it easy_ with Hardy’s sister come 3 AM.” 

Wynonna’s eyes popped out. “Nu-uh,” she said with a surprised laugh and shake of her head. 

“Uh-huh.” 

“Oh, _God.”_

Nicole chuckled and threw her a wink. “I’d love to see what he does when he finds out I’ve got his baby sis under me.” 

“Go on, Hefner,” she snorted, for the nickname seemed to be becoming more fitting by the day. “Tell Little Dude I’m making him play with me tomorrow whether he wants to or not.” 

“He’ll be glad,” she said, her smile softening as she opened the door. “Night, Earp.” 

“Night, Haught Pocket.” 

**January 16th, 2019 8:53 AM**

“And here you go, Ladies,” Curtis said with a warm smile as he set the box of donuts he had gone out and picked up for the five girls. He got a gaggle of excited thank you’s as they all reached for them at the same time.

Waverly walked around the table with a smile, pulling him into a one-armed hug and standing up on her toes to push a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Curtis.” 

He shook his head, waving her off. “Oh, I already needed a few things anyway. It was no hassle.” 

“Just accept my thank you, would ya?” she asked with a huffed smile.

He let out a sigh, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You're _very_ welcome, Dear.” 

_“Much_ better,” she grinned, giving his side a squeeze before pulling away and grabbing a donut for herself. 

Curtis turned his back to her as he refilled his coffee cup. “D’you mind tellin’ Nicole that I’ll be out in the barn and am ready to chat with her whenever she’s ready when she wakes up?”

 _Because_ his back was turned, he missed Waverly's dramatic eye roll as she took a bite of it. “Yep.” 

He took a sip with a smile as he turned her way again and gave her shoulder a squeeze as he headed towards the front door. “Thank ya, Dear.” And with that, he was off to work.

Waverly sat down with an annoyed groan, and all of the girls looked towards her with raised brows in confusion. “What’s he gotta talk to her about?” Chrissy asked, leaning her head on her fist. 

“Don’t know. Don’t care,” Waverly grumbled. 

_“One_ of you stepped on me this morning at, like, five AM and I didn’t appreciate it,” Beth grumbled. 

“Who the _hell_ was up at five AM?” Poppy asked in confusion, tossing her hand with her donut out. Chrissy smirked as she bent over and took a bite off of it. “HEY!” Poppy smacked her arm.

They all looked around, trying to figure out who the early bird was. Most of their eyes landed on a certain blue-eyed blonde whose face was slightly blushed above the smirk she was trying to hide with her cup. _“Victoria,”_ Beth muttered accusingly.

“. . . It was more like _5:30,”_ she mumbled, raising her eyes to her friends. 

“What were you doing up at _5:30 in the morning_?” Waverly asked with a furrow in her brow. 

_“Yeah,”_ Beth mused, lifting her head with a slow smirk of her own from beside her. “What _were_ you doing?” She reached out and hooked her finger around the neck of Tori's hoodie and tugged it down to reveal a litter of bites and hickeys across her collarbone. “Or should I say _who_ were you doing?” 

Tori’s face darkened quickly and she smacked her hand away as the table erupted to gasps and shrieks. “ _No you didn’t,”_ Waverly said under her breath. 

“Oh my _God,_ a bitch went back for _seconds!”_ Chrissy said with a huge grin. 

“Who _wouldn’t_ go back for seconds?” Poppy scoffed. “I know I did. And thirds. And fourths. And fifths . . .” 

_“Ok- ”_

Beth cut Waverly off, for they were all now leaning across the table towards Tori to keep their volume on the topic quieter. “Is she _really_ that good?” 

“Well, if I tell you that I stepped on you coming _in_ and that I left at a little before _three_ , does _that_ answer your question?” Tori mumbled with a devilish grin. The cheerleaders all gasped. 

“You were with her for two and a half hours?!” Chrissy questioned with wide eyes. 

“Mhm,” she smirked. “And _in_ two in a half hours . . . _eight_ times.” She nodded at all the bulging eyes staring at her. “One time was _three_ in a row.” 

“You’re lying,” Beth muttered. 

“I can promise you that she is _not_ lying,” Poppy assured, putting a hand up. She looked towards Tori, smacking said hand on the table. “Oh my- And that _tongue piercing?”_ She rolled her eyes back with a groan, and Tori fell back limp in her chair with a similar noise to match it. 

“She has a _tongue piercing?!”_ Beth and Chrissy gasped at the same time. 

Chrissy snapped her head towards Waverly. “Waves, you didn’t tell me _that!”_ Waverly shot her _daggers,_ and Chrissy's eyes widened in realization. 

“Wait, how do you know?” Tori asked as she sat up in the chair. 

“Uh, 'cause I live with her?” Waverly lied with a convincing shrug. “It’s not hard to miss.” 

“I miss it,” Poppy mumbled, and Tori smacked her arm with a snort.

“Damn. I feel like _I’m_ missing out now," Chrissy sighed.

_“Nedley,_ I swear to God,” Waverly groaned with a facepalm. 

“I’m just saying! These girls are making me _hella_ jealous and I _will_ say, those tattoos are _mega_ fine an-”

_“CHRISTINE NEDLEY!”_

“Oh, come _on_ , Waves! I know you’re a _little_ curious.” She shot her that _best friend_ look that _all_ best friends seem to have.

Waverly was .2 seconds away from snapping that _skinny little neck_ of her's, but they all turned their heads at the sound of a door opening upstairs and feet running down the stairs. Nash went straight to the freezer, pulling a box of Eggos out. “Coley, you _promised!”_ he shouted at the one slowly descending the stairs, rubbing her fists into her eyes with a yawn. 

“Yeah, Bug, I’m getting there. _Jeez.”_ She dropped her hands and blinked a few times, only now noticing the five sets of eyes on her from the table. She smirked slightly at both Tori and Poppy, but her mouth curved into a normal smile just as fast for the rest of them. “Morning.” She got a couple of responses, and continued on further into the kitchen, taking the box out of her brother’s hands. “Go watch TV. I’ll bring it to you.” He smiled and zoomed off to the living room, flinging himself onto the couch.

Waverly felt her eyes doing a sweep of Nicole’s body. All she had on was a pair of baggy black sweatpants hanging _low_ on her hips and a _way too tight_ wife beater. 

_And, damn, if her arms didn’t look good -_

Waverly shook her head at herself, going to turn her head back around, but the _very_ _prominent_ red scratches across her back tattoo caught her attention. She felt her mouth dry _obviously because she was eating_ _donuts_ and _not_ because her eyes had taken a further adventure down her body, noticing the way her figure curved with her waist. Her eyes landed on her hips, more so the way the thick blue band of her boxers was completely visible below the hem of her tank top and above her sweatpants. 

Nicole reached across the counter to grab the coffee pot, and Waverly’s eyes widened. Her shirt had risen and on her left hip, she noticed a _tattoo._ One she had never seen before. She couldn’t tell what it was because her brain didn’t get that far. But she saw it.

Right?

She thought back to her _lovely_ speech in world history. Nicole had said she had _seven_ tattoos. Her pinky smiley face, her hand lion, her robot sleeve, her _stupid stay gold,_ her neck anchor, and her origami handgun back tat was only six. 

And she could only assume that she _wasn’t_ going crazy and that whatever was taking up her left hip was number seven. 

“Looking for something?” 

The smug voice brought Waverly out of her trance, and she snapped her eyes up to Nicole’s, seeing how she raised her brow in question with a bored expression. 

And how she was also _facing_ her now?

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I zoned out,” she mumbled. 

She smirked wide, “Staring at my ass? Damn, Earp, I don’t blame ya.” 

_“What? I wasn’t!-”_

“I’ll turn around if you wanna see it again? I don’t mind.” She set her cup down and turned, putting her hands on her hips with a little shake. 

Chrissy, along with half the table, snorted, and Waverly rolled her eyes with force as she stood and moved next to her at the counter, reaching up to grab a cup for herself. Her eyes snapped open but narrowed at the hand she felt fall onto her hip as she watched a tattooed arm reach for a plate out of the cabinet she was in. “Sorry,” she heard mumbled _far_ too close to her ear for her liking. “I need one of these.” Nicole continued to make it worse as she leaned forward into her, _purposely_ pushing her hips forward. 

_“Asshole.”_ Waverly lifted her foot and jammed her heel into Nicole’s bare toes. 

She let out a yelp, damn near dropping the plate in her hand as she jumped away from Waverly and grabbed onto her foot. “What the _hell,_ Dude?!” 

_“What the hell, Dude?!”_ Waverly mimicked, then giving her a pout as she poured herself some water. “Poor you. Curtis wants to talk to you for whatever reason, by the way.” 

Nicole set the plate down on the counter and dropped her brother’s now-cooked waffles onto it from the toaster. “Right now?”

She shrugged. “He said when you get a chance.” She brought her water to her lips but took it down with a furrowed brow. “Wait, don’t you have a job to be at right about now?”

“Walmart?” Waverly nodded. “Nah, I quit.” 

Her eyes widened. “You- Why?” 

Nicole furrowed her brow but pushed off the counter. “Do you really _never_ get the memo? I’m working for Curtis now. That’s probably what he wants to talk about.” 

Waverly's mouth opened slightly as Nicole walked past her to deliver breakfast to her brother. She finally regained her composure and looked towards the table of cheerleaders, seeing them all staring at her with the most confused looks on their faces. “What?” she asked as she sat back down. 

“You two have a very _interesting_ relationship,” Beth mumbled, speaking everyone’s mind. 

“A little bit, yeah.”

“Mhmm.” 

_“Interesting_ is an _interesting_ word choice.” 

_“Ok.”_ Waverly put her hands up. “Yes. You guys have just witnessed reason number _831_ of _why_ I _hate_ her.” 

They all gave her some type of nod before continuing on, chatting amongst themselves. Chrissy put her hand on her shoulder and leaned in towards her ear. “Hey, forgive me if I'm wrong, but, uh . . . I think you’re into her.” 

_“CHRISSY!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Mommy  
> JONK  
> SNORE BITCHE  
> thicCKQUE
> 
> boy oh boy  
> our poor, poor gays  
> I don't think you guys understand how much we LOVE Chrissy in this lmao


	10. There's Still A Lot of Good in the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Curtis and Nicole  
> And a little bit of adventure  
> And a little bit of a d v e n t u r e 
> 
> (read beginning notes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef:  
> Alright. I'd like to start this with an apology. I told y'all we were trying to get better with uploads and such, but right now is a very testing time, nothing new there. But what is new (IMPORTANT) is that we have decided to change our upload days to WEDNESDAYS instead of TUESDAYS, for it is better for both of our schedules atm. Now you may be saying to yourself, Queef, ya dumb hick, it's Friday. Well, today is an exception, ok? This WAS supposed to go up yesterday but things got busy.  
> Anyway, this chapter is a mess. I'm aware of it. Solace is aware of it. It's kinda choppy, kinda not our usual. But it's ok. We'll get through this.  
> Thank you guys for being so patient and kind to us. I appreciate it, and I am a million percent Solace does too  
> (also for early readers) It might be good to come back a day after these are posted to see what kind of bullshit Solace puts in her notes cause it usually takes her a hot minute.

**January 16th, 2019 9:16 AM**

The eldest redhead slowly reached over the back of the couch and snatched up a piece of waffle off of Nash’s plate. 

_“NICOLE!”_ He screamed in utter anger, whipping his head around so fast, his glasses almost flew off. 

She let out an amused chuckle as she popped it in her mouth. “Ima go talk to Curtis, alright?” 

“Whatever,” he grumbled, still mourning the loss of the small portion of Eggo. She walked over to the coat hook by the door and pulled one of her hoodies off of it, slipping it on over her tank top before sticking her feet in her combat boots and heading out to the barn. 

She pushed the door open and searched her eyes around for the older man. “Curtis? You in here?” 

“Yea, Kid. Back here.”

She saw his head poke up from behind a four-wheeler. She moseyed over and squinted down at him, seeing how the front cover was off and he was messing with the inside of it. “What’re you doin’?” 

“I’m _tryin’_ to get these damned headlights to come back on,” he grumbled as he poked around at some of the wires with some pliers. “And I _know_ the bulbs ain’t shot cause I’ve changed ‘em three times now.”

Nicole’s brow furrowed and she grabbed the flashlight he had been using, leaning over so she could take a look. Her eye caught a red wire attached to the control panel that looked kind of loose. She pushed on it, standing up with a cocked brow at how the lights flicked on. “Uh . . .”

“Well now you’re just making me look _stupid,_ Haught,” he huffed, pushing himself to his feet and putting his hands on his hips as he looked down at it.

“Sorry, I just-”

He shook his head and clapped her shoulder with a chuckle. “I’m kiddin’. You’ve still got them young eyes, a _hell’uva_ lot better’n mine.”

She relaxed a bit with a smile. “Oh, I _highly_ doubt that.” 

Curtis tutted, flicking the flashlight off and picking up the motor cover and smacking it back on. “Well, you’ve got them goggles for a reason.”

The redhead leaned back against a workbench by the wall. “Meh. They don’t do much.”

He furrowed his brow. “No?” She shrugged. “What about your brother’s? D’they work for him?” 

“They’re just an old pair of mine, so they aren’t the right prescription. But they work for the most part.” She pushed her hand through her hair with a sigh. “I need to get him to an eye doctor, but-” 

_“But_ you’re both already gonna be with me next Saturday when I haul the both of you to the eye doctor to get y’all some new glasses.” 

She quickly shook her head. “No, I-”

“ _Nicole_. How long have you had them?” 

“I dunno,” she mumbled. “A couple of years maybe?” 

“And when’s the last time either of you seen anyone for it?”

“Nash has never been, bu-”

“Then it’s _settled_. You both are going. I’m not havin’ y’all two walkin’ ‘round not able to see.”

The junior pursed her lips. This was exactly why she kept her mouth shut about things. She decided to just change the subject. “What’s this even for?” she questioned, nodding her head towards the four-wheeler. 

“For you.” 

Her eyes widened. “ _Me_? Why?” 

“Well, you need a way to get up to the main barn, dontcha?” he chuckled. 

“There’s another barn?” 

“There is,” Curtis nodded. “This one is just for storage really.” 

“Where’s the other one?” She asked. 

“About . . . Half a mile up that a’way then back through the field. All the boys that work for me either got a truck or one of these to get from place to place, so I figured I’d fix this one up for ya.”

Nicole smiled softly, pushing off the bench and shoving her hands in her pockets as she walked over. “Well, thanks.” 

“Ah, it was no biggie. One of the boys that worked for me over the summer rode it too rough and cracked the gas tank, so I replaced it, ‘n now it’s good as new.” He walked around and turned the lights off to save the battery.

“Who all _does_ work for you?” Nicole questioned, for she had never seen anyone around at the Homestead from the farm. 

Curtis blew a raspberry, wiping his hands off on his pants. “Some are part-time like you, but my full-timers are . . . The two York boys, the three Croft brothers, Ewan, Charlie, that _stupid_ Carl, and, uh, Champ.” His eyes seemed to harden saying his name at the same time that Nicole’s did hearing it. “Trust me, you won’t be working with any ‘less you have to, _‘specially_ not Hardy. I’ve seen them arms of yours, Girl. You’ve got just as much brawns, and more brains than most of them buffoons. You’ll hold your own just fine.” 

She nodded, glad of the fact. “So, uh . . . What’s your problem with Chu- uh, Champ?” 

He lifted his eyes to her as he sat slightly on the seat of the four-wheeler. “We didn’t have this conversation.” 

Nicole raised her eyebrows but shrugged her shoulders with a small smile. “What conversation?” 

Curtis nodded his head, knowing that they were in agreement. “I’m sure you’ve met the boy.”

_“Unfortunately,”_ she mumbled. 

“He’s certainly . . . _something.”_

She could tell by the look on his face that he was holding something back. And it wasn’t hard to figure out. “You don’t like him being with Waverly?” It was more of a statement than a question. 

He stood with a long sigh, walking over to the workbench where she had been previously, and organizing the tools littered all over it. “I love my niece more than anything in this world . . . But her choice of men is just _terrible_. I know there are better people that will treat her right- _She_ _knows_ better people that will treat her right. Hell, _you_ would treat her better! . . . But she chooses the dullest damn crayon in the box, I just don’t get it. She deserves better. And she _knows_ that, too. I just don’t understand why she's still with that dumb, ungrateful, jock-strapped sack of _dog shit.”_

The junior’s eyes widened, for she had never heard the man be so negative before. _Also maybe because he had said he’d rather her with his niece._ “I agree. I mean, I haven’t talked to him really. I think the most of an interaction we’ve had was when he called me a dyke, but . . .” She watched as Curtis’ face angered hearing that. “All I’ve heard is talk and seen them being . . . _them._ And I may be _biased,_ but I don’t know _what_ she sees in him. He’s rude, he’s annoying, he’s dumb _and_ ignorant, and just . . . _yeah,_ a sack of dog shit.”

The man chuckled with a shake of his head as he walked back over to the four-wheeler. “Let’s just hope she gets some sense knocked into her head before she ends up marrying him.” 

Nicole let out a hum in agreement, shifting on her feet slightly at the _thought_ of her marrying him. “Well, if it makes you feel any better . . . I have a feeling that she’s starting to figure it out from what I’ve overheard in the past couple days.” 

“Is that right?” he asked with a hopeful smile. 

She nodded, “I think so. But you never know.” 

He let out a content sigh, knowing, either way,c he could start putting a bug in her ear about it. “Alright. Well, d’you know how to ride this bad boy?” 

She shook her head with a laugh. “Not at all.” 

After a quick lesson, they were rolling. Curtis was leading the way in his truck, letting her take her new toy for a spin, getting used to it as they sped down the backroad. She saw his blinker come on after a minute, so she slowed down, watching him turn up a dirt path with a wheat field on one side and cattle on the other. And far up that dirt path was a _huge_ barn, some silos, and a couple of smaller barns scattered around throughout. So _that_ was why they needed something to get around with. “Woah,” she muttered to herself. She had initially thought that this was a small little family business, but it was apparent that it was more than that considering the _acres upon acres_ on either side. 

She parked the four-wheeler next to his truck, hopping off as he climbed out of his vehicle. “C’mon, Kid. I’ll give you a tour.” He led her inside the main barn, and the smell of _cow_ hit her in the face as she looked around, realizing they must’ve been finishing up milking time right about now. He walked her up and down the rows, spraying information into her ear that she digested quite nicely. He was a great teacher. Straight to the point but at the same time, giving her all the details she needed to know. 

“So these suck machine thingies don’t hurt them?” She asked, tapping on one of the milk claws’ main system. 

_“Completely_ safe. The only reason we use ‘em is cause they are far faster than by hand. We don’t have time to milk a hundred of these babies twice a day. They’re gentle and the clusters automatically disconnect when the Holsteins are gettin' low- _never_ drying them out completely . . . Trust me, Waverly’d never let us use or do _anything_ that harmed them. It was hard enough to convince her when we wanted to switch over, but she did her fair share of research and made sure we got the best ones.”

She had to smile a bit at that. She was just imagining a 10 year old Waverly screaming her lungs out at him. “That’s good.” 

“Thanks to her, we’re one of the best organic dairy farms in the area. We’ve got around 180 cows right now and get about 1,600 gallons of milk from ‘em a day? All while keeping this place clean and friendly.” 

“That’s pretty impressive,” she nodded. Because, frankly, seeing how well kept everything looked, it was. “And how much do you farm?” 

“About 650 acres. All wheat. We’ve got that on the left side and around 400 acres of just grass and such for the cows to go willy nilly in.”

_“Curtis.”_

They both turned towards the whined voice, seeing Champ walking over with a prominent pout on his face. She watched as the man rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in his pockets with a sigh. “What, Boy?” 

“I don’t feel good. Can I go home?” 

Nicole blinked at him as Curtis tipped his head. “You don’t _feel_ good? Why?” 

“My head hurts,” he huffed sadly. 

“Mm, why’s that, Champ?” Nicole asked faux-obliviously, for his face screamed hangover from the night before. 

His eyes hardened on her. “How am _I_ supposed to know?”

She looked towards Curtis, and he raised his brows at her. “I think he’s hungover,” she whispered. 

He looked back towards the boy-man’s enraged face. “Why would you say that?” he asked the redhead. 

“Well, Hardy here, posted a picture on his story last night of him at an _absolute rager,_ so I’m just gonna go ahead and guess that’s he’s dealing with the after-effects now.” She gave him a little shrug, tapping the side of her head. _“Detective_ skills, Champ.”

His wide eyes darted between the two faces. “W- No! She’s lying!” 

“Oh, so if I check your story right now . . .” She slowly pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“Ok! Fine, I was there!” She tipped his head, wanting him to continue. “. . . And I'm hungover,” he mumbled. Nicole looked towards Curtis, crossing her arms with a proud smirk. 

His glare hardened on Champ. “You came to my farm _hungover?!_ What’s wrong with you?!” 

If he was a dog, his tail would be tucked between his legs at the moment. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. 

_“Get_. I don’t need your dumbass screwing something up. Boy, I’m warning you now, this better not happen again.” His eyes were nothing but threatening. 

He nodded his head, dipping it slightly. “It won’t. I’m sorry, Curtis.” 

“Good.” Champ turned to leave. “Oh, one more thing.” He looked back at the man. “Nicole’s working for me now. If you give her _any_ trouble whatsoever, I’ll have your ass. Ya hear?” 

His face tightened and he shot her a glare. “Got it.” He turned back with a grumble, _“She’s gonna end up turnin’ our cows gay.”_

Nicole heard it.

Curtis not so much. 

“Well then,” he sighed. “He really loves you, don’t he?” 

“Sure does,” she said with a roll of her eyes. 

“Alright. Well, let’s go find Charlie. He’s gonna be the one teaching you the ropes ‘round here. He’s a senior. Real nice kid and one of the _best_ farmhands I’ve ever had. I’m sure y’all will get on just fine.” She nodded her head with a smile, following him back towards the feeding area.

**11:14 AM**

A little while later, both Haughts were once again vegging out on the couch, fighting over whatever now-cold Eggos were left, and watching random cartoons when a flash of brown hair and black leather ran in front of them and came crashing nearly onto them. 

“‘Sup, Gingerbread Gang?” Wynonnas asked as she jumped onto the couch extremely close to the older redhead. 

Through a grunt, Nicole looked to her best friend. “Nothing much, you frickin’ Lead Zeppelin. What’s with the _up before Noon_ nonsense here? Last I remember, 11 AM was still considered the crack of dawn to you.” 

“Yeah well, when you got a womanizing ginger under your roof, I guess things change.” Sometimes when Wynonna spoke, Nicole would easily get lost and confused as to what in the hell her friend was even saying; now was for sure one of those times. 

“Coley, what’s a womanizing?”

Her eyes widened. “Uhh, n-nothing, Bug. Don’t worry about it. Nonna is just making words up agai-”

“Little Dude, it’s your sister. She’s got _all_ these ladies lined up for a ride on the Haught Express.” 

_“EARP!”_ Eyes bulging from her head with nothing but flames in her pupils, Nicole turned her head towards her friend along with a slap to her arm. 

_“Ow_ , shit, Haught Pocket. Kiss it and make it better.” Wynonna rubbed her arm in mock pain while Nash encouraged her with a round of laughs. 

“Anyway. Is there something you wanted, Wy? You know, other than whatever these past five minutes were?” Nicole cleared her throat with emphasis to warn her friend that she was nearing her cap on the girl’s shenanigans. 

“It’s called bonding, Nicky. Look it up.” 

Nicole roughly rolled her eyes, “Don’t call me that.” 

_“Nicky,”_ Wynonna dared again through squinted eyes and a devilish smirk. 

Oh, two could play this game. 

Nash watched with amusement as his sister settled an expression of danger on her face and squinted her eyes as well. She cracked a wicked smile as she sighed, “I _said_ don’t call me that, Wy-Wy.” 

The other girl's eyes went wide with a look of horror. “Don’t you dare . . .” 

“What’s wrong with Wy-Wy, Dude? Oh wait! I remember one even better . . .”

_“Haught!_ Don’t you dare!” 

Nicole looked to her brother with a daring raise of her brow. “Do I dare, Bug?” She smiled as he nodded his head in agreement enthusiastically. Looking back to her friend, she spared no mercy. “. . . _Nonnie.”_

_“NOPE!”_ Wynonna lunged at her friend with fury but failed to dominate in the situation, for the stronger girl only reacted with a fit of laughter and was soon joined by her brother’s chorus of laughs. 

The two tussled for a moment with the mini Haught reffing on the side and cheering for whomever he felt like. When all parties were sufficiently tired, they all went back to their original states of couch potatoes respectively. “That was great,” Nash giggled, now bored of the cartoon that paled in action to the live WWE match he had watched. 

“Now, Earp. Was there something you needed?” Nicole tried again, knowing her friend probably would have forgotten if not reminded. 

“Oh crap, yeah! Both of you need to get dressed and ready in ten,” she said simply with her arms crossed. 

“Uh . . . why?” 

“'Cause you, me, Little Dude, and Waves are going to the mall today.” 

“Waves is going _where_ today?” Waverly's voice called from the stairs she rounded the corner with raised brows. 

“To the mall with us.” 

“Nuh-uh.” 

“Uhhh, yeah-huh.” The sisters had a mini showdown with their eyes before the younger one gave in with an eye roll. “Yes, Waverly. You are coming to the mall with me Haught Stuff and Haught Stuff Junior today.” She looked to her friend with knowing eyes, shutting down any excuse to not go she was anticipating coming up. “You and your Mini-Me are gonna get some new clothes.” 

Nicole scrunched her face up with utter confusion. “Um, how? I don’t have the money for that. Besides I have to save for new glasses now and-”

Wynonna cut her off with a shake of her head and a wave of her hand. “Don’t even start, Nic. You’re getting _at least_ one new outfit on us. Consider it a housewarming gift.” 

Nicole was about to protest when Waverly interjected. “On us? Us who?”

“Not important, Babygirl.” Wynonna jumped to her feet with a clap of her hands. “Alright team go get ready, you have ten minutes to meet back down here. Break!” 

The team did, in fact, break and head off to get ready, but not before a series of groans and grumbles. And in ten minutes and 32 seconds _e_ _xactly,_ the gang was ready to roll. 

“I’M DRIVING!” Wynonna shouted as she ripped the keys from Nicole’s hand and bounded for her car. The redhead glared at her as she waited for the other brunette to come out the door before closing it behind them. “Little Dude, front seat!” 

“Yeah!” He pumped his fist as he scrambled into the seat while Wynonna took her seat on the other side. 

“Only one of the back doors opens,” Nicole informed as she opened the one on the left and climbed in, closing it as the younger one arrived beside the car. 

Waverly blinked at her as she pulled it back open, flapping her hand at her a few times. “Then scoot.” 

Nicole looked up at her as if she was in thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Nah.” 

“Nicole, move.”

“Just climb on over, Princess. I don’t mind,” Nicole smirked, patting the seat next to her. 

_“I swear,”_ she muttered. She grabbed the top of the door frame before swinging her body in and plopping right on Nicole's lap. Waverly heard her breath hitch, and Nicole's hands came to her hips, fingers digging in. 

Well, Waverly hadn’t expected _that._ Her body halted, for she had planned on just moving right off. But. Those _hands_ threw a curveball into her plans.

_“Dude.”_ Nicole let go and gave her a push.

“Sorry.” Waverly scooted off of her lap and moved to the seat behind the passenger's, buckling in. 

Nicole looked towards her with a confused brow, face turning smug when she noticed the red on her cheeks and the wideness of her eyes as she looked out the window. “Was that necessary?” Nicole asked with a cross of her arms as Wynonna put the car in drive.

Waverly looked towards her, mimicking her. “Well, you told me to _'just climb on over’,_ so that’s what I did.” 

_She did say that, didn’t she?_

Nicole pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, angling her body back forward and pulling her phone out of her pocket. 

Time had passed on with little sing-alongs here and there whenever the radio faded back into signal, and lots of watching the trees and other cars pass by through the windows. Before they knew it the daunting skyline of the city etched its way into view, replacing the mountains and trees that were there previously. 

The city. 

A bittersweet sight to all but _one_ passenger in the car. 

The city. 

Where beautiful things happened, and nightmares occurred. Where the very best of times and the absolute worst of times were set. 

It’s not like they hated the city, for it was still a beautiful and welcoming sense of home to all of them. However, there’s no denying the harrowing flashes of violent images of the darkest sides of the streets. 

Though the car itself was silent with only the soft background music of the radio playing lowly, to Nicole, she hadn’t been anywhere so loud in a long time. 

Everything came rushing suddenly back to her. Every smile and every glare. Every laugh and every scream. Every hug and every scarring hit. All the faces she’s ever seen, the happy and the snarling. Every single word spoken to her and all the ones yelled at her. The fear and pain. The happiness and butterflies. All of it came crashing back into the forefront of her mind, each flashing fragment hitching her breath faster and faster as her eyes glazed over, looking out the window. She didn’t even notice the gentle hand resting on her shoulder. 

“-cole, are you okay?” 

She shook her head roughly to rid the intruding memories as she looked towards Waverly. “Hm?” 

Waverly slid her hand to her knee. “Are you okay? You started breathing heavier and shaking a bit. What happened?” 

Though she traced her eyes over her facial expression thoroughly, Nicole couldn’t find an ounce of insincerity in the brunette’s question. She seemed genuinely concerned with her well being, and _fuck,_ for the life of her she didn’t know why that meant more than an ‘are you okay?’ formality ever could to her. “Oh, uh. Just memories. Of the city and stuff.” Instinctively, she grabbed the girl’s smaller hand in hers, not oblivious to the way they fit together perfectly. 

As if it were also second nature to her, Waverly gently worked soothing patterns into the back of it with her thumb as she studied the redhead’s face. Though Nicole tried her best to hide it, she could still see some of the other girl’s pain and strife reflecting in her eyes and the subtle twitch of her upper lip. 

“It’s okay, Nic. You’re not going back.” The words came out softly and calmly, though Waverly felt the statement glaringly loud in her chest. Her mind was screaming at her to say anything comforting and she could not understand why her body felt it with such urgency. It didn’t make sense. Yeah, she was known for being nice and wanting to make others happy, but she’d never felt such an intense desire to console another. It was especially baffling considering the girl in question was one she could barely stand most of the time. 

Maybe the only other person just as surprised with her care and sincerity was Nicole, for she was certain that Waverly was just being civil and nice at first. She furrowed her brows as an unsuspected warmth grew in her chest. “. . . Thank you.” 

The pair only shared a smile before taking their hands back into their own laps, trying to busy themselves with looking anywhere else in the car beside one another. The funny, fuzzy feeling of giddy joy and warmth lingered in both of their chests, though they’d never admit it. They also would never admit that they knew what that feeling was. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole saw her brother fidgeting with his fingers, something she knew he did when he started to get nervous. Already getting ready to reach over and see if he was okay, the eldest Haught stopped when she saw one of his hands being scooped up into one of Wynonna’s, followed by one of his precious, small smiles. And although she couldn’t quite make out the words being mumbled between them, she knew that Nonna was comforting the little boy, for she had to have sensed his anxiety. She had to smile at that; it was as if her best friend was a sister, not just to her, but to Nash as well. 

The car full had carried on without much more conversation. All that needed to be said had been spoken, and all fears were driven away. No flashbacks were to ruin this good day out with family. No. Today was going to be a good day and will be a good memory to stick out in the sea of bad ones that came with the city’s skyline. 

**12:02 PM**

Nash was the first out of the car when they got to the mall. He ripped Nicole’s door open, tugging on her arm. “Coley, c’mon!” He said with a smile as she tried to untangle herself from her seatbelt. 

“I’m comin’, Bug. Hold on.” She climbed out and dropped her hand on the top of the door, waiting for Waverly to climb out from her side before closing it. 

Wynonna climbed out of the car to meet them with a shit-eating smirk. “Let’s roll.” 

The group made their way into the mall, having decided that they would start on Nash first. As they were passing by bright storefront after another, the display lights became dimmer by the second compared to the bright twinkle growing in the oldest Earp’s eyes as an idea worked its way in her head. Suddenly, she stopped short, halting the entire group to stop abruptly and confused.

“Guys,” Wynonna began, “what if we made this fun?” Her proposal gained only one enthusiastic yes while the rest were confused and or bored, pointed expressions. 

“How?” Waverly asked. 

Rubbing her hands together as if she was a mastermind criminal hatching a devious plan, Wynonna smirked as she explained her thoughts. “Glad you asked, Babygirl. We’re all gonna go in a store, one that Nash likes, and then we’ll each have five minutes or less to put together some outfits for him.” With the explanation present, the reactions changed only slightly, for there was still one cheering, one mulling it over, and one trying to excessively blink this moment away. 

“Earp, you’re such a child.” Nicole sighed. Wynonna looked at her best friend to see what her problem was, but was delighted to see that she had a sly smirk poking through her poker face. “I’m in.” With the game plan set, the crew went on and let Nash picked a store. 

“Alright. On your marks.” All eyes shifted from one another, anxious to start the mad dash to fashion. “Get set.” Wynonna threw a glare of her own around as she spoke the highly anticipated words to be spoken. “GO!” The trio didn’t even wait for the word to be fully over before madly dashing around the store. They were so busy, they hadn’t even noticed as Nash grabbed himself some clothes. 

“. . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . STOP! Time's up!” Waverly's alarm went off at exactly five minutes, stopping the other girls dead in their tracks with whatever they had successfully picked up. Finding the little Haught, all three girls dumped their picks in his small arms and sent him off into a fitting room. Now was the time for the final judgment to see who picked the best outfit. 

“Okay,” Nash announced from behind the fitting room door, “I’m coming out.” Three sets of eyes watch eagerly as the door swung open to reveal the mini Haught donning a forest green t-shirt that read ‘Today Was A Good Day’ in thin, fine white lettering, which was paired with a pair of black joggers. To complete the look, the finishing touches were a rust-colored, fur-lined bomber style coat with a matching colored beanie. 

Words weren’t necessary to figure out who’s picks those were thanks to the excited squeal that left Waverly’s mouth followed by a small, happy dance. “What do you think?” she asked eagerly. 

Nash did a little 360 spin as he checked himself out once more in the outside waiting area mirror. “I really like it!” Waverly’s proud smile widened as she let out another smaller squeal. "I don't know if it's 1000% me, but I don't know what _me_ is yet either, so that doesn't matter."

_“Alrightalrightalright,_ next!” Wynonna huffed as she shooed him back into the changing room. Within a minute or two, the door unlocked again, letting the little boy re-emerge in his next outfit. 

Now he was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt that said ‘golden boy’ in dark yellow letters, ripped and cuffed blue jeans, all topped off with yellow golden Sk8-Hi vans and a matching colored beanie. Once again, there was no question whose pick it was, for all of them looked to none other than the boy’s sister. 

“What do you think, Bug?” she asked, already pretty proud of herself, for he looked _adorable._

He threw on a big, bright smile as he gave her two thumbs up. “Stay Gold!” Suffice to say, it was a winner in his book. And with that, he went back in and came out with what could only be a _second_ Nicole-picked outfit, which was a long-sleeved classic red and black flannel over a plain black t-shirt and faded blue-grey ripped and zippered jeans. Naturally, it could only be paired with wheat-colored Timbs, and a SnapBack with the letter ‘N’. This too was a crowd favorite and a double thumbs up to Nash. 

“Those were cute, Haught Stuff, but the _real_ outfit winners are next.” Wynonna’s taunts could be heard through the changing room door and earned a playful eye roll from Nash. No doubt the others as well. Now, the eldest Earp’s pick was, in fact, arguably the best; it was consisting of a long-sleeved dark purple and black tie-dyed shirt, in addition to some ripped black skinny jeans and black and white Old Skool Vans. All topped off, of course, with a black beanie and some _super_ cool frickin’ shades. Trash talking aside, the group was definitely impressed with both the outfit and the fact that the older girl knew a color other than black and leather. 

With all three girls’ outfits done, they figured the fashion show was over, but they were proven otherwise when the door swung back open to reveal Nash in a denim short-sleeve button-up, a pair of black jeans, the black and white Old Skools, finished with the black SnapBack. 

“Boom!” Nash exclaimed proudly as he showed off his own curated outfit. 

“Woah, Dude. When did you have time to pick _three_ full outfits?” Wynonna turned and asked the junior. 

“I didn’t.” Nicole was as equally confused as she, for both girls knew Waverly could never pick something out like that. 

“No, I did. Do you like it?” Nash looked each girl in their eyes, waiting for their approval. 

“Dude, did you seriously pick that yourself?” Nicole asked, unaware that her brother had such a sense of style. 

With a roll of his eyes, he sighed and answered. _"Y_ _es_ , Cole. I’m blind but I can still see good fashion.” The older redhead took that as a good enough answer as she and the others laughed at the boy’s sassiness. 

“Alright, can we bounce now?” Wynonna whined. 

“It was literally _your_ choice to come here, Wy,” Waverly said dryly. 

“And it’s literally _my_ choice to leave now.” Her sister rolled her eyes but followed her and the Haughts towards the counter. 

Nash didn’t include, per say, that he also picked up a pair of cheetah print joggers, but he figured he’d toss them into the pile anyway. 

“Here’s the problem, Earp,” Nicole started as she pulled her best friend to the side for some privacy. “I can’t pay for all this right now. I don’t have enough.” She said that last part even quieter, almost ashamed. 

Wynonna, however, snorted amusedly. “Neither can I, dude.” 

“Then how were you planning on getting all of this?” She knew her friend to steal once upon a time, but that was the old her, and she knew she was better than that. 

The other girl must have sensed her friend’s apprehension and suspicions because she sighed and pulled a card somewhat roughly out of her pocket. “With this.” 

Oh, how she was so ready to protest. To argue. To refuse and decline politely. However, Nicole knew there was point when she saw the embossed card name and numbers glisten in the overhead lights, very clearly spelling out ‘August McCready’. No, Nicole knew there was no getting around anything here. She sighed deeply and hung her head in defeat. “I swear,” she mumbled under her breath but also to her best friend, “Y’all Earp’s and McCreadys will be the death of me.” 

With her signature shit-eating smile, the Earp in question slapped her hard on the back as they made their way back to the checkout counter. 

Millions of bags and a reciept Wynonna refused to let Nicole see later, they were on their way. And since Wynonna was on the kick of not quite telling the older redhead things, she also didn’t bother to tell her about the two extra shirts she got for Nash, the mini Doc Martens she _insisted_ the boy needed, the grey cardigan Waverly added, and of course, the cheetah joggers Nash picked. She somehow just knew Nicole wouldn’t see the need for a shirt that read ‘Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire’ and a AC/DC style shirt that said ‘babe’ as urgent as she did. 

**12:59 PM**

“Guys, I’m fucking _starving_ ,” Wynonna groaned. 

“Me too,” Nash chimed in. 

“Me three,” Nicole sighed. “And I still don’t know where I want to go to shop.”

“Then let’s go get some food,” Waverly concluded. “The food court is on the bottom floor.” 

They all nodded, heading towards the escalators. “OOOO, WAIT!” They all looked towards Wynonna in question of her outburst. “Can we ride in the fancy glass elevator?!” 

Nicole rolled her eyes in sync with the brunette. “Yes, Wynonna,” they sighed, turning towards said elevator. It would be faster anyway, considering that they were on the 4th floor and needed to get to the 1st. Nash mashed the button and stepped towards his sister, leaning back into her front. She slowly pushed her hand through his hair as they waited for the doors to open.

The boy’s eyes widened when they did as he noticed how _cool_ it was, and he dashed in right behind the older brunette, facing the back wall to look out it. Nicole and Waverly stepped in, but Nicole's brows shot up when she saw the crowd rushing for the doors. The good _eight_ people all moved to get in with sorry smiles as the space quickly became crowded. Nicole’s eyes shot towards her brother, but she relaxed when she saw that Wynonna had pulled him in front of her. She took a few steps back as they all piled in to give everyone room.

But her steps halted, for she felt a body behind her. Waverly’s body, to be specific. She threw her a sorry look over her shoulder and was going to move beside her, but the fat guy took the open space. And she was going to step back forward, but his fat wife moved to _that_ spot, leaving her back pressed against Waverly's front with nowhere to go. 

_Perfect._

She let out an annoyed sigh, hoping this elevator ride would be short. The doors closed and it started moving.

But it seemed that it wasn’t the only thing that was _moving._

Her eyes bugged out when she felt two hands slip under her leather jacket to rest on her hips. And they only widened more when she felt Waverly pulling her back into her _completely._ She stood frozen as her hands slid from her waist to her stomach. They moved slowly down and tugged her shirt loose from the French tuck before slipping under it. 

Nicole’s brain short-circuited a bit as she felt Waverly’s nails slowly running about her abdomen and sides, and she sucked in a quiet breath as her knuckles turned white gripping the metal railing. But judging by the way her nails dug more in as she moved her hands all over, she knew Waverly had noticed. 

The redhead hadn’t a single _clue_ as to what was going on. Yet she wasn’t mad at it. It was apparent at this point that they were both being teases today. And she’d be damned if she let her win this one. 

The elevator dinged as they arrived at their floor. One of Waverly’s hands slipped back out as the door opened, but the other stayed, using all of her fingers to draw a set of scratches that would _definitely leave some marks_ straight down her abs. Nicole’s eyes fluttered shut and she felt her muscles tense as she tried to keep herself in check. 

The people began to file out, yet she still felt as warm as she did with all of their body heat surrounding her. Her eyes flicked to Wynonna and Nash. “Race ya!” Wynonna mirked, taking off out of the elevator towards the food court with the little redhead right on her tail. 

Nicole, though, wasn’t in as big of a hurry. 

She waited until they were gone to step away from WAverly. But it wasn’t for long. She whipped around and planted her hands on the glass on either side of the brunette’s head before she could try and move away, meeting her eyes as she heard the door close back behind them. “Care to explain what _that_ was all about?” she asked lowly with a tip of her head, feeling Waverly’s chest going in and out against her own with her slightly labored breathing. 

Her face curved into a small smile, but she furrowed her brows. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.” 

“Oh, you don’t, huh?” 

Waverly shook her head, “I don’t.”

“Mm,” Nicole said with a nod, leaning her face daringly closer towards her’s. “I guess I should . . . _remind_ you.” Her hands moved lightning fast from the glass to Waverly's hips under the bomber jacket she had on. Waverly’s breath stalled as she looked down at them, slowly raising her eyes back to her’s with her mouth slightly open. Nicole smirked slightly. She slid her fingers down, letting one trail across the bare skin below the hem of her crop top as the others hooked around the bottom hem of it and jerked it up.

“Nic-”

_“You_ did this to me _first,_ if I’m not mistaken,” Nicole muttered, licking her lips as she looked down and slowly let her hand creep up her stomach. Her brows furrowed at the feeling of cold metal. She lifted her palm, eyes widening down at the belly button piercing she had seemed to never have noticed before. “Well, that’s cute,” she mused, lifting her eyes to Waverly's. 

“Mm, thanks. It’s a new one. But you’re not supposed to know about it at all,” she informed, tipping her head with a raise of her brows. “So you don’t.”

The corners of Nicole’s lips lifted slightly as her hand continued up millimeter by millimeter. “Wynonna doesn’t know?” 

“Nor will she.” 

Nicole felt Waverly shiver when her fingers brushed the bottom of her bra. She slid her hand over to her ribcage, moving the other one up to mirror it as she gave each side a squeeze with an inhale. “And why _shouldn’t_ I tell her about . . .” She let her right hand slip down to her hip, letting her thumb brushing over the piercing. “Mr. Butterfly, here?” 

“'Cause you like your hands _intact_ . . .” Waverly smirked at the smallest bit of fear she saw flash through Nicole’s eyes as they snapped from watching her hands’ journey across her toned torso to her face. An idea popped into her head. “. . . You need those, don’t you, _Daddy?”_ she questioned, voice raised a lilt as she slid her hands down the outside of her jacket. 

Nicole's face scrunched and she ripped her hands from the brunette’s body, taking a quick step back from her. _“Absofuckingnope,”_ she practically gagged, turning away. 

Waverly giggled, _glad_ that was the reaction that name got. She grabbed her arm and dragged her towards her, pushing her against the wall with her hands on her chest. “So we are clear then? You’re not gonna tell her _or_ Gus and Curtis? They all kinda forbidden me from getting one and I did it anyways.” 

“If you promise to _never_ call me that _ever_ again,” she muttered, her face still soured in disgust. 

“Well, is there an occasion where I would ever _need_ to call you it again?” she asked with a raised brow. 

A small smirk pushed onto Nicole’s face and she roughly gripped her hips, flipping them around and pinning her there with her body. She dipped her head, making their noses brush as she flicked her eyes from her lips to her eyes. “Not unless you want there to be, Princess.” 

Waverly hummed, looking down as she straightened the sides of Nicole’s jacket before looking back up at her. “I’ll just let you go ahead and keep _imagining_ what it would be like to get with me.”

“By the looks of it, you already are,” Nicole countered before she could wiggle away. 

Waverly kept her face neutral as she looked up at her because she _totally wasn’t nor had she ever._ She reached up between them and wrapped her fingers around her chin, pulling her head down so her ear was next to her mouth. _“By the looks of it,_ you’re getting your me’s and you’s confused, _Daddy.”_

Nicole jerked her head back and pushed off of her. “God! Quit!” she whined, smacking her hand on the door button and making them open. “I _hate_ that name.” 

Nicole slipped out the doors and Waverly was close behind her with a giggle. “Why’s that?” 

“Because it’s _gross._ Why? _Why_ is that a thing? I don’t- _bleh.”_ She shook her head around in disgust. She had always hated the name, for this hadn’t been the first time it had come about. 

It _had_ been the first time she had a say about it, though, if she even did. 

“I’m pretty sure Champ has a daddy kink of some sort and I am _not_ for that,” Waverly mumbled, crossing her arms as they made their way over to the food court. 

“What? It’s just ok with me?” Nicole asked with a small smirk and a raise of her brows as she shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. 

She scrunched her face up at her. “I was _messing_ with you. There’s a difference.” 

Nicole did a long nod, looking back forward and tracing her eyes around for the two that had run off. “Fair enough.”

She spotted them over by the Popeyes’ so she wandered over, giving her brother a smile as they jumped in line behind them. “You two get lost or something?” Wynonna asked.

“No. A lady dropped her bags, so we helped her pick ‘em up,” NIcole lied, looking to Waverly, who gave her sister a nod. “So who won?” 

“Won what?” Wynonna and Nash questioned at the same time, her brother forcing the handles of all his bags into his sister’s hands for her to carry. 

“Your race.” 

Nash let out a proud huff, looking up at Wynonna with a grin. “I did.”

_"I_ was holding your bags, Sir. You had an advantage,” she defended. 

“I think you’re just slow, Nonna,” he said, giving her arm a pat. Wynonna’s jaw _dropped,_ and Nicole let out a snort, lightly smacking her brother on the side of the head as Waverly laughed freely.

_“Dude!”_ Wynonna threw her arms out in offense. 

“He’s got a point,” Waverly giggled, using Nicole’s body as a barrier between them as her sister came at her with flapping hands. Nicole laughed, putting her free arm out to shield the younger one from the butt-hurt brunette. 

She stopped after a few seconds, crossing her arms with a scowl. “. . . Well at least _you_ _two_ are getting along now.” 

Nicole raised her brows, looking behind her at Waverly, who met her eyes with the same look of _having been caught_ in her eye. “Eh,” Waverly shrugged when she moved back in front of her as they scooted up the line towards the counter. “I tolerate her.”

Nicole rolled her eyes at the back of her head. “She’s ok, I guess.” 

Wynonna shook her head at them, pushing to the front so she could order her food. Nash wriggled up right next to her, squeezing her hand to tell her his order to tell the lady. Nicole took a step closer to Waverly’s back, hooking her finger around the loop in her black jeans and tugging her back towards her, dropping her face towards her ear. _“Tolerate_ , huh?” she questioned, voice rough. “You seemed to be more than _tolerating_ me earlier.” 

_“Who knew_ you were an attention whore,” Waverly mused, looking over her shoulder at her with a small smirk.

Nicole rolled her eyes once again, “Coming from _you.”_ Waverly threw her a glare, grabbing her hand and detaching it from her jeans before stepping up and taking her turn ordering.

And just like that, things were back to normal between them. 

Well, as normal as they could get. The twists in their stomachs when they caught one another stealing a glance throughout the rest of their shopping spree was _definitely_ to be blamed on their lunch not settling.

Yeah. Totally.

**January 17th, 2019 5:58 AM**

Wynonna shook her head around with a yawn, jumping up and down and wiggling her arms to help wake herself up. It was 6 AM on a _Monday_ _morning_ and there was no other place she’d rather be than curled up in bed, but since basketball season was slowly inching towards the first postseason game, they were sometimes having two practices a day. 

“You girls look tired this morning!” Coach Rivera said as he walked out of his office, drawing all of their attention away from one another as they stretched. “I’m sure I can fix that. Line up!” They all groaned as they walked towards the thick blue line he was standing on. “5 suicides. Free throw, half-court, free throw, end. I’ll keep adding more if you don’t touch the lines.” He lifted the whistle hanging around his neck to his mouth and gave it a sharp blow. The varsity team took off, and he took the time to grab the basketball racks as they did their thing. 

Wynonna’s least favorite part about basketball was the running, but she did it anyway. She wasn’t the fastest in the world, but she sure was one of the better starters on their team shooting wise.

They finished their drill after a couple of minutes and all moved towards the racks where their coach was standing, most with their hands locked behind their heads or fisted in the shirt at their hips. “Alright, Ladies. We’re a little shabby on our blocked lay-ups. I want two lines, right side blocks, left side shooters. And if you are blocking, I want you blocking like your life depends on it.” He blew his whistle and tossed out a ball, and they all lined up to begin. 

Wynonna let out a small breath of relief. At least they weren’t conditioning. She caught the ball when it got passed to her and quickly dribbled up to the hoop, ducking around the arms waving in her face and making the shot. She smirked as she grabbed the ball and passed it to the next in line, jogging over to the end of the blockers’ line.

The drill certainly woke the girls up enough to where they were pretty competitive right off the bat. And it only got better as time went on. They were soon making trick shots while shooting and jumping around while blocking to the point where they were all having a blast. 

Jasmine Mendoza was by _far_ their best player. She could outrun any of them and drain a three with her eyes closed. She had plenty of colleges digging their way up her ass to try and get her to choose them. She was basically the glue for the team, and she made sure you knew it, too. She wasn’t Wynonna’s _favorite_ person in the world, but she respected her nonetheless. 

When her turn came around, she ran up and shot, grabbing it back and giving it a hard pass to Jasmine. She jogged to the end of the other line just in time to watch her run up. 

And, _Lord,_ she heard it before she saw it

When Jasmine ran up, she must have been feeling ultra cocky, for she jumped up and touched her fingertips to the rim as she pushed the basketball through it. But she must have thought she’d jumped higher because she tried to grab said rim.

That, unfortunately, didn’t work out for her. 

Her stopped momentum sent her legs swinging out in front of her, back falling towards the floor. The girl made the mistake of straightening her arm behind her to break her fall.

But her fall wasn’t what was breaking in this case. 

The junior let out a curse as she pulled her arm out from beneath her and clutched her forearm to her chest as she rolled to her stomach and let out a groan. 

A couple of the girls rushed over to her, kneeling down beside her as the rest watched on in shock. Wynonna quickly snapped herself out of it, turning and sprinting across the gym towards Coach Rivera's office. “Coach!” 

He whipped around from digging around in a cabinet for the supplies they would be using during the rest of practice. “What?” 

“Mendoza just broke her arm. Like bad. Like _I heard it_ bad.”

_“What_ _?!”_ He set everything in his arms down and quickly followed her out the door. “What the _hell_ happened?!” 

“We were all . . . _kinda_ screwing around and she tried to dunk almost, but . . . I don’t know, her legs came out from under her mid-air and she landed on it weird.”

He muttered something under his breath as they jogged over to the group of girls now surrounding her. “All of you get back,” he said as he pushed through them. “C’mon, _move.”_ He dropped down beside the junior, patting his hand gently on her back. “Hey, Kid. Can ya flip over for me?” 

Jasmine slowly flipped over, face flushed with pain as she clutched her arm to her chest. “Is it broken?” 

She went to look down at it, but he kept her from it, not needing her to go into shock from seeing it because by the looks of it, it was _obviously_ broken. “It’s . . .” He didn’t need to finish it with words, only a look. She let out a heavy sigh, staring up at the ceiling. “Did you hit your head when you came down?” 

“I think so,” she mumbled. 

He clenched his jaw, standing up and calling Wynonna over with his hand, dropping his voice. “I need you to go to the office and get them to call an ambulance for me. I don’t want to chance it.” She nodded quickly, rushing off to do so. 

**6:43 AM**

Coach Rivera gave Jasmine’s good arm a squeeze, wishing her well as the paramedics took her away on the gurney, all the basketball girls screaming their condolences to her. Their coach turned towards them and ran his hands down his face. They all slowly walked over to him, the mood in the gym having shifted. He crossed his arms in front of himself, letting out a breath. “Conference is next week,” he said simply, looking around at all of their faces. “And we just lost our best player . . . Because you guys decided to _screw_ around.” They all looked away from him in shame. “Now what are we gonna do, huh? She scored 30% of our points _every game._ Are you all gonna be able to step up? Huh?” 

Wynonna raised her head, “I know a girl.” 

Everyone looked towards her with cocked eyebrows. “What?” her coach asked. 

“I know a girl. She can fill in for her, 100%.” 

"There is a girl in this school that is as good as Jasmine that is _not_ on my team?” His brows raised suspiciously. 

“There is,” she answered with a sure nod. 

_“Who?”_ He was staring at her in utter disbelief. Wynonna smiled devilishly, puffing her chest as she crossed her arms. 

**7:50 AM**

Nicole unlocked her locker, pulling it open and setting her coffee she got from the gas station on her way in on the top shelf as she pulled her books out. 

“HAUGHT!” 

She turned her head towards Wynonna as she came down the hall, raising her brows at her until she was at a reasonable speaking distance. “How may I help you?” 

“You’re quitting McDank’s.” Her face seemed as if what she was saying _wasn’t_ insane. 

Nicole’s, though, was not as unfazed. “ _Come_ _again_?” 

“You have to quit.”

“No, I don’t,” she said with a small laugh, brushing her off. 

Wynonna grabbed her arm and turned her towards her. “No. Dude, I’m serious.”

The redhead furrowed her brows at her in confusement. “You _just_ made me quit my other job. Why do I have to quit _this_ _one_ , too?”

“ _Because_ I kinda told Coach you’d join the team . . .”

_“WHAT ?!_ Earp, _why?!”_

“We lost our best starter this morning. She broke her arm. And you’re _just_ as good as her.” Wyonna’s eyes were pleading. “C’mon, Dude. You can just work full time for Curtis, it’ll be fine. We need you. And Waves told me you were thinking about joining the team anyway.” 

That was true. The only reason she hadn’t tried out was that there would be no way she would be able to make any practices or games with her work schedule. 

Nicole pushed her hand through her hair. “Wynonna . . .”

“Nicole, come _on._ It’ll be fun. And you are fucking _amazing_.” 

She shook her head, looking back towards her locker. “I’m not . . .-”

“I’m gonna kick your head in, yes you _are.”_

The redhead turned and leaned back on her locker after gathering the last of her things. “Wy, I don’t kn-” She caught a set of people out of the corner of her eye and she slowly pushed off her locker, walking towards the two to see for herself if she was going insane or not.

“Alright, Ambrose, your locker’s gonna be right here,” the principal directed, tapping the metal with his notebook. 

“And my first hour is right down there?” the senior asked.

“Yep, first door,” he said with a smile. “Here’s your code.” 

“Ok, thank y-” 

He was whipped around by the arm and went into immediate defense mode, but his stance softened once he traced his eyes over Nicole’s face. “Hey, Red.” 

She slowly loosened her grip on his arm. “. . . Fish?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Mommy  
> SNOR BITCHE  
> JONK  
> thicCKQUE
> 
> FISHHHHHHH?  
> WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN PURGATORY?????
> 
> Hi, Queef again:  
> While I'm down here, if you or you know somebody who is a relatively good artist and would like to do some fanart for this fic, Solace and I would probably cry, just putting it out there


	11. That's What I'm Wishing Was All That's Bothering Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fish is back...  
> Along with all of those memories  
> Boy oh boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef:  
> Uh.  
> Hi guys. It's been a while. Shocker, I know. As of now, I wouldn't expect any set upload schedule anymore cause we apparently can't stick to it and I don't like letting y'all down  
> But here's this one. Hope you like it.
> 
> Solace:  
> I don’t appreciate the shade, queef but you have a point. Right now, with semester in full swing, and having an almost full time job, it’s pretty hard to think let alone write. We’re doing what we can but I hope you like whatever we manage to get out to y’all.

**January 17th, 2019 7:53 AM**

“. . . Fish?” 

He let out a little chuckle, “Tis I.” 

Nicole continued to stare at him dumbfounded, mouth opening and closing a few times. “Y- You’re _here?_ In _Purgatory_?” 

“Yea, Red. I’m here,” he assured, reaching out and rubbing her arm to try and ground her a little bit. 

Wynonna walked over and draped her arm over the principal’s shoulders. “Let’s go take a walk and leave them be, shall we?” 

He pushed her arm off but followed her as she walked away. _“Shocking_ that they know one another,” they both heard him grumble, though they paid him no second thought. 

Nicole’s eyes continued to trace over his face as she tried to convince herself that her friend was, _in fact,_ standing in front of her. It took a few more seconds, but her brain finally caught up. Her face softened and she let out a huff as she took a step forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. He smiled, resting his chin on her shoulder as he hugged her back just as tight. 

There were so many thoughts running through the redhead's mind. She was grateful as all hell that he was there because she hadn't seen or even _talked_ to him since she had left. But she was also confused as to why he was there. But above all else, she was scared. More than scared actually. Because with Fish came all the memories. Some good, but the majority haunting. The alleys. Her buyers. The drugs. The fights. The feds. The gangs. The other dealers. Her times locked up. Her times at The House. Her times at _home._

They all flashed through her mind like a movie reel and she pulled away from him, staring at him with fearful eyes. He furrowed his brows worriedly. "I . . . I'll text you later. I- I gotta go." 

She swallowed back the tears in her eyes as she took a step back from him, and he gave her a soft smile. "It's a lot, I know. Take your time. I'll be here." 

Nicole nodded, managing a small smile as she took a few steps back before turning and making her way down the rest of the hallway, deciding she would try and go find somewhere quiet to chill out before the first bell. 

_The library it was._

**8:39 AM**

Nicole tapped her foot and flipped the page of her book, adjusting the hood of her flanneled jacket pulled over her head to conceal the earbuds that were fed up through said jacket and in her ears from Mr. Phlo. Today was, of course, the day that they were all to present their drug presentations. And he couldn’t have picked a _better_ day to do it. 

She was trying to tune out the group going to the best of her ability, but every glance up at the pictures and words on the screen screaming at her about her past shoved her deeper and deeper into the dark hole she was trying to keep herself out of. 

She lifted her eyes at the sound of applause making their way into her ears, seeing that the group had finished. Her heart sank to her feet, seeing that her teacher’s eyes were on her and Waverly. “Haught and Waverly, you’re next!” 

Nicole swallowed, looking towards the brunette as she slowly closed her book and pushed herself out of her seat. She pulled her earbuds out subliminally and nudged the hood off her head, taking the clicker for the smartboard that one of the guys from the previous group handed her. She moved to the opposite side of the board from Waverly, handing it over to her. 

The sophomore took it, furrowing her brow at the redhead. “Are you ok?” She mumbled. Nicole simply nodded. “You’re, like, really pale.” 

“Can we just get this over with?” She asked with a pleading huff, wiping her sweaty palms off on her jeans. 

Waverly blinked at her for a second but nodded anyway. She turned her head to look at Phlo and he gave her a thumbs-up as an okay to begin. “Alright. So we did drugs in the US.” She clicked the pen on the board and it switched to their next slide. “Every year, the alcohol industries bring in about $90 billion dollars, the most purchased types are bourbon, whiskey, rum, vodka, and beer, and the number one seller is Jack Daniel’s.” She clicked it and it switched, then looking to Nicole, for it was her turn. 

“The, uh . . .” Her eyes traced over the words, yet they all blurred together as the pictures in the corners settled into her view. The joint. The syringe and spoon. The baggie of coke. The colorful pills. “Uhm . . .”

“Nicole . . .?” Waverly whispered, growing even more concerned by the rapid rate at which her eyes were snapping from picture to picture.

The junior's eyes quickly flicked toward her, her face somehow paler than it had been before. She shook her head. "I- I can't." 

Waverly's eyes widened as the girl pushed her hand off the wall as she spun around and rushed out the classroom door. She turned and tossed the clicker pen onto the teacher's desk with a sorry glance before taking off after her. She realized about five steps out the door that Nash was not the only Haught to have acquired the quick feet trait, for the redhead was already at the far end of the hallway and flying around the corner. She quickly moved into a sprint, whipping around the corner after her. " _Jesus fucking_ \- Nicole!” 

The redhead turned her head back to look at her and her feet seemed to slow as she was pulled out of her initial flight or fight response. She slowed to a walk before stopping and pushing her hands to her face as she dropped down to the floor and hugged her legs to her chest with her back against the lockers. 

Waverly let out a breath of relief as she slowed her roll to a jog, then to a walk as she approached her. “Hey . . .” She slowly sat down in front of her, reaching out and touching the side of her leg gently. “Are you ok?” She questioned softly. The junior shook her head from its position pushed against her arms, and Waverly swore she heard a sniffle. Her brows furrowed and she placed each of her hands on the sides of her calves, rubbing her thumbs in soothing patterns. “What’s wrong? You were fine making the slides. I . . . What happened?” 

She heard another sniffle as Nicole lifted her head and rested her chin on her arms that were folded over her knees. She closed her eyes and shook her head again, but now the brunette was able to see the red blotches all over her face as the tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. And, _God_ , if it didn’t shatter her heart. She had never seen her cry before, and she wished she never had because the look of pain on her face made her realize that there really was something going on with her. She pulled her legs in and scooted closer to her, reaching out and carefully taking her glasses off. She set them in her lap as she cupped her face and pushed her hair behind her ears, wiping her tears with her thumbs. “It’s ok,” she soothed when she opened her eyes to look at her. 

Nicole let out a shaky breath as she relaxed into her palms for a few seconds, letting herself finally calm down. She didn’t cry often at all. It’s not that she saw herself as a hardass or anything stupid like that, but rather that her brain was somewhat numb to the world at this point so things rarely affected her like that. 

But of course. Here she was. Crying in the middle of the hallway over _nothing_ in front of Waverly Earp. 

She lifted her head from the girl's hands, letting it fall back against the locker behind her as she let out a raspberry and loosed her arms’ grip around her knees. Waverly let her hands move to rest on her kneecaps, tipping her head a bit as she waited for her to answer her question when she opened her eyes to look at her. Nicole shook her head, "I'm fine." 

Waverly raised her brows, but then let them furrow again. "That's not a very convincing answer, Nic." 

She let out a sigh as she pushed herself up off the floor. “I dunno what to tell you then." 

The brunette stood, pursing her lips. "You're allowed to have feelings about things, I hope you know that." 

She blinked at her for a second before taking her glasses out of her hand and pushing them back on her face. "What's the best way to get out of here without having a herd of old ladies coming after me?" 

"You're ditching?" She asked, somewhat shocked. 

"Ya." 

She was about to try and convince her not to, but she decided against it considering how well her other attempts went. She sighed, loosening her stance and waving her hand slightly to the right. "Cafeteria doors. There isn't a study hall in there first hour." Nicole nodded and went to turn away, but she grabbed her arm. “Gus is gonna have your ass when she gets the call that you skipped.” 

She watched as a hint of worry passed over her face, but it was gone as fast as it came. The redhead pulled her arm away and flicked her hood over her head as she replugged her ears with her earbuds. “Pick Nash up for me after school, would ya?” She turned away and continued down the hallway.

“ _Nicole_ , I have cheer!” 

“Then get Wynonna to!” She shouted over her shoulder with a shrug before turning the corner. Waverly let out a loud groan towards the ceiling tiles as she made her way back to Phlo’s room. She dug her phone out of her back pocket, going to her messages. 

**Babygirl: U have to get Nash after school**

**The Hotter Earp: Y**

**Babygirl: Cause Nicole told me u had to**

**Babygirl: also for the LAST FUCKING TIME quit changing ur name in my phone**

**Nonna: Y can’t she get him today**

**Nonna: I did no such thing**

**Babygirl: Idk**

**Babygirl: 🙄**

**Nonna: wym u don’t know**

**Nonna: Wait, why r u the one telling me this**

**Babygirl: Prolly cause she didn’t wanna tell u she just skipped..**

**Nonna: excUSE ME WHAT**

**Nonna: WHERE’D SHE GO???**

**Babygirl: Idk. She ran out of Phlo, cried for a bit, then left. Who knows where she’s going**

**Nonna: Gus is gonna have her fucking ass**

**Babygirl: That’s exactly what I told her, smh**

  
  


**11:43 PM**

Nicole slowed to a stop as she approached the McDonald’s doors. She wiped her forehead of the small gathering of sweat before entering the building, for she had just ran there. 

Well. 

She technically had been running all day. 

The second she was out of the school doors, she was running. She didn’t know where to, and she didn’t know where she _had_ gone. All she knew was that she had let the morning pass into the afternoon as she kept herself lost in thought. Sure, she had stopped a few times. Once to empty her stomach contents into someone’s front yard because, ya know, that happens sometimes when you sprint a couple of miles out of nowhere. And the others were just cry breaks.

She always resorted to running to clear her mind even though she usually just ended up thinking about whatever it was the whole time. But she usually figured it out in the midst of it, so it worked. This time, though, not so much. She was still confused and scared and worried about what was to come, but what she _did_ decide was that she would just have to wait and see what came. There was nothing she could do. Fish was in Purgatory and she couldn’t avoid him and the truth forever, so she would just have to give herself the time to get herself together before she opened up those doors. 

Nicole walked in and was _immediately_ spotted by her boss behind the counter. Her eyes were drilled onto her with nothing short of a glare. “ _Excuse_ _me_ , where are _you_ supposed to be, young lady?!”

Wincing as if she had a hangnail, she turned to face the authoritative voice demanding her attention. “Heeeeyy, Vikki . . .” 

The boisterous lady strutted with purpose over to her, hands already on her hips. “Don’t you _Hey Vikki_ me! It’s not even _2_ yet. You’re supposed to be _learnin’_ , Child!” 

Nicole closed her tired eyes and sighed in defeat, although she had brought this upon herself. She _did_ run _right_ _into_ the McDonald’s where the first mother figure she’d had in her whole life _was undoubtedly working_. “I know, Vik.” 

The older lady went to go start up again but stopped herself before the words could come out, for she could see just a hint of lingering tear stains glistening the girl’s cheeks. “What happened?” Her voice was far softer and a million degrees calmer than it had been.

Confused, the redhead looked up. For a second she was almost worried that the woman could read minds, but that was a subject for some other time. “What?” 

Moving almost impossibly closer, Vikki stuck her face out and squinted her eyes to get a better look at the surprised teen’s face. Then came the hands with the loving grip of death on either side of her cheeks, thumbs following the tear streaks still taunting the onlooking woman. “You were crying, Nicole- Did something happen to Nash?” 

“What? No, nothing like that.” She watched the woman visibly relax, something that warmed her heart through the pain. She allowed herself to be led to a nearby table where she was then promptly expected to spill her woeful secrets. 

“Alright, Kid. Spill,” Vikki sighed out once she sat fully. 

“Fish is back.” 

“Excuse me?”

She chuckled lightly. If it were anyone else, she’d be annoyed at their lack of knowledge as if they’re supposed to be in her head. But with Vikki, she found her utter cluelessness in the situation nothing short but refreshing and innocent. She only knew one other person that could come close to that. “An old friend. From my past . . .” She never had to really go into detail with the woman, for she always knew somewhat, and it was something that could comfortably be left unspoken. 

“Good or bad friend?”

“He’s good. The best, actually. But he didn’t come alone, ya know? He came with all the . . . the _all_ of it.” 

“Ah . . . So that’s what it is?” 

“What does that mean?” Nicole asked with a raised brow.

“Sweetheart. You just are experiencin’ emotion. Congratulations, you’re human.” 

Though she shot her a death glare, Nicole couldn’t help but crack the tiniest of smiles. “Well, it sucks. Can I be something else?” 

Vikki gave a thoughtful stroke of her chin with a theatrical shrug. “Eh, you could be you. She’s an ass of a kid to deal with sometimes, but she’s got a heart of gold and she’s one hell of a power. Shit, she ain’t too bad on the eyes either!” They both laughed tiredly but happily. 

“Thank you, Vik. I needed that.” 

“Hey, no problem, Kid. What else am I good for?” The older woman reached across the table to give her hand a gentle squeeze. 

Nicole gave her a knowing look but then cracked a grin. “I couldn’t tell ya,” she joked. 

“Watch it, Girl,” Vikki warned just as jokingly. “Now either you go home and face that Gus of yours, or you go and grab a spare uniform in the back and clock in. I could use some help around here today and it’ll give you some time before your inevitable death.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” And with that, Nicole sprung to her feet and followed the dear woman to the back room. 

Dressed and ready, she dumped some fries into the hot oil. “There’s, uh, something else I actually came to talk to you about, Vik.” 

She turned her head from working behind her. “What’s that?” 

“So Wynonna is forcing me to join the basketball team . . .”

“Uh-huh.” She waited for her to continue.

“And there is practice every day after school.” 

Judging by the silence that followed her last statement, she figured that her boss was understanding where she was going with it. “And you’re gonna leave me here to deal with all of these jackasses by myself?” 

She turned around to face her with a sad furrow of her brow. “I don’t wanna go, I really don’t. But I _really_ wanna play an-”

Vikki let out a huff, turning around and placing her hands on her shoulders. “Nicole. I was kiddin’ ya. I don’t want you cooped up in here if you can be somewhere else doing what you love. Besides, I know you ain’t gonna leave me all alone, now are ya?” 

She smiled softly at the shorter woman. “Of course not.” 

Vikki grinned, squeezing her arm before dropping her hands and turning back to the burgers. “I’d have to come kill ya if you did.” 

**2:45 PM**

Nicole crossed the street and got onto the asphalt track that lead to the city park, following it around a corner. It was pretty deserted still considering that school was still going on, but she was glad of the fact.

She continued jogging up the path, turning her head as she passed the basketball court, slowing down when she saw a stray basketball laying in the corner of the fence. She looked around to see if it was anyone around’s, but the only other person she had seen the whole time was a little old lady walking her Shih Tzu. She stopped her jog and veered off the path, walking through the grass to get over to the concrete pad with the two sets of hoops, opening the fence around it and walking in. 

She had just _quit her job_ to join the basketball team, so she decided she mise well see how shabby her skills were. She picked the weather-faded ball up and squeezed her hands into either side to check the air, deciding that it was good enough to mess around with. Dribbling towards the only hoop with an intact net, she made a lazy shot from the corner of the three-point line, the ball rolling around the rim before falling through. She grabbed it and made a couple more lazy shots, most missing, before turning her music up more and flicking her hood up, pulling on the strings to make it stay better. She dribbled in between her legs a few times, letting out a slow breath before sprinting towards the hoop and sinking a lay-up. 

Nicole smiled a little as she dribbled back towards the free-throw line and planted her feet behind it. She had always had a ritual before shooting them, ever since she started playing in 5th grade. _One backspin, two dribbles, three knee bounces as she lined it up, and a deep breath_. She flicked her wrist and the ball hit the backboard before falling right in the hoop. She let out a little laugh, unconsciously letting all her thoughts and fears from the day slip away as she bounced the ball and began shooting shot after shot with growing effort until there was a layer of sweat covering her face and she was flying around the concrete. 

So much so that she hadn’t noticed that nearly two hours had passed since she first picked up the ball. 

Nor had she heard the slamming of the blue-green truck door behind her until she was grabbing a rebound and she saw a feral Wynonna marching towards her. Her face paled a little bit and she rolled the ball on her hip, pulling her earbuds out.

“I’m not your brother’s taxi, ya know! _You_ are. But, oh wait, I forgot. You decided that school wasn’t _important_ today!” 

Nicole rolled her eyes, turning back to the hoop from the three-point line and making a shot, huffing as it bounced off the rim. “I’m not in the mood.” She walked over and grabbed her rebound

The brunette walked over and ripped the ball out of her hands. “I don’t give a _flying_ fuck if you are in the mood or not!” She gave her shoulder a shove with her free hand. “What is _wrong_ with you?!” 

Nicole tried to smack it out of her grip, but Wynonna bounced it quickly to her other hand, dribbling backward to keep away from her as she shrugged her leather jacket off and tossed it onto a bench. Nicole tugged her pant legs up as she got into a defensive position, following her as she slowly made her way around the court. “Today was just . . . too much. Ok? I couldn’t do it.” 

“That doesn’t give you permission to _skip class,_ Haught.” Wynonna cut to the left and spun around her, dropping a lay-up. 

Nicole pursed her lips, tossing her the basketball and jogging over to the outer circle of the three-point line. Wynonna bounced it to her and she grabbed it, dribbling it a few times as she took a few steps back. “It was either that or someone pushing me over the edge and getting the shit knocked out of them. Take your pick.” She drove forward, pushing Wynonna with her shoulder before hopping back a step and taking the shot. Wynonna made a face as it went in, and Nicole smirked, smacking the ball towards her with her palm as it bounced off the concrete. The brunette spun it in her palms a few times, faking her to the left before taking a step back and taking a shot from behind the three-point line. It bounced off the rim and Nicole sprinted over, jumping up just as Wynonna did and pulling it into her arms. She dribbled around the edge of the line, stopping for a second as she bent towards the ground, holding the ball out in front of herself. 

“Well, I’d rather you _not_ get in a fight, yea. And knowing _your_ dumbass, it’s likely you would have.” She took a swipe at the ball, but Nicole jumped back, pulling it out of her reach. “But I’d also rathered if you wouldn’t have left.” 

“Earp-”

“No. I aid in the English department first hour and _literally_ just play Subway Surfers the whole time cause they never need help. You could have just texted me, Dude.” 

Nicole grit her teeth slightly, sprinting forward and bumping her out of the way as she jumped up and slammed the ball into the hoop, hanging onto the rim for a second before dropping back down. 

“Show off,” Wynonna muttered under her breath, snatching the ball up and flicking it towards her. 

The redhead knocked it back. “I wanted to be left alone,” she shrugged, blocking her from an attempt of coming up the middle. 

Wynonna jumped to the left, sinking a sideways shot. It was clear that she was not going to win this argument. Nicole was set on the fact that she made the right decision and there wasn’t a thing she could do that could change her mind about it. She let out a breath after having knocked it out of Nicole's hands, putting her butt to her front and moving her back towards the hoop before tossing the ball towards it with a hook shot. It went in and the junior threw it to her, grabbing it back and slowly walking the outer line. “Can you just promise me that you won’t do it again without having a conversation with me first?” Wynonna asked.

Nicole pursed her lips, standing up straight and making a lazy three-point toss, missing by a longshot. “Fine.” 

“ _Thank you_ ,” the older one grumbled with a huff of relief. “Now let’s see what you’ve really got.” She ducked around the arm she swung at her, knocking her off balance and making a free lay-up. “I see we’re off to a great start.” 

Nicole smiled, rolling her eyes with a shake of her head. She caught the ball and jumped back on one foot, swishing a three. “What was that again?” 

They continued on, trash-talking each other left and right. They each had their fair strong suits. Nicole was better at blocking and being able to shoot from anywhere on the floor while Wynonna was better at keeping the ball to herself and moving from place to place. Though, it was no surprise to Wynonna that she was just as good, if not better than she had been when she used to see her play. And even with her mile-high ego, she’d admit for free that Nicole was better than her any day.

Wynonna faked a shot, blowing a strawberry at her as she shot a box shot over her head. “Ha.” 

“ _Ha_ ,” Nicole teased, bouncing it towards her. She chucked it back and the redhead immediately took a jab step forward, reading her right side as weaker. She crossed her to the left, quickly pulling back and spinning around her right as Wynonna stumbled. She dribbled once before taking two big strides, pushing off the ground and using both hands to slam the ball into the hoop. Nicole pulled herself up and wrapped her legs around the base of the rim, letting her body fall upside down as she stuck her thumbs in her ears, wiggling them at her as she blew a strawberry of her own. 

“That was evil, Haught Pants,” Wynonna pouted.

The redhead laughed as she lifted her torso and grabbed the rim, detaching her legs and dropping back to the ground. “I know, right? Your ankles are _deceased._ ” 

They turned their heads at the sound of a slow clap coming from behind them, and Nicole’s eyes widened when she realized who it was. “I’ve never seen someone fake out Wynonna Earp before. I applaud you.” 

She smirked slightly at him, holding the ball out in front of her. “Really?” The brunette grabbed for it, but she jerked it away. “It’s not _that_ difficult.” 

“I’m glad you two get along,” she grumbled. “Nicole Haught, Coach Rivera. Coach, Haught Shot.” 

She smiled, switching the hand with the ball before reaching out and shaking his hand. “Well, I’ve certainly heard all about you, thanks to this one,” he said, flicking his eyes towards the senior.

“Oh, I bet,” she sighed.

He chuckled, “Well, Nicole. Welcome to the team. I’ll get you your uniforms and fill you in on everything else you need to know at practice tomorrow morning.”

Her brows furrowed. “W- I’m just on it now? I don’t have to try out or anything?” 

“Kid, I just watched you play for about five minutes. That was all the try out I needed.” 

She blushed slightly and was going to speak, but Wynonna interrupted her. “So you just sat in your car and watched us? _That’s_ not creepy at all.” 

He threw her a glare. “Do you like being a starter?” Her eyes widened with a nod. “ _For your information_ , I just got back from checking in on Jasmine at the hospital and _happened_ to see you two as I drove by.” 

“Is she donzo?” Wynonna asked. 

“She needs surgery for her arm and does have a concussion, so for at least this season she is.” He shook his head. “I love our team and all, but without you coming on, Haught, we’d be done before we even played the first postseason game.” 

She gave him a little smile, but then looked to Wynonna. “I mean, I didn’t have much of a choice, but I’m glad.”

"Yea," he said with a sigh. "There's never much of a choice with her." 

"Hey!" Wynonna crossed her arms in front of her chest with a pout, and they both rolled their eyes with laughs. 

**5:12 PM**

The two pulled into the driveway and Nicole smiled a little as she parked her car, seeing Curtis and Nash playing football in the front yard. She climbed out with a sigh, throwing the strap of her satchel that Wynonna had brought her over her shoulder. The little one tossed Curtis the ball before running over to her. She caught him as he jumped at her and hoisted him up in her arms. "Hey, Bug." She pushed a kiss to his cheek. "How was school?" 

"Good. You gotta sign a thingy for me." 

She set him down. "For what?" 

"We're all going on a field trip!" He looked up at her with a beaming smile and she looked down at him with a smaller one. His brow furrowed. "You're sad, Cole. Why?" 

Her eyes widened for a second, but she shook her head at him. "I'm fine, Bug." 

"Is it cause of Gus?" 

She looked quickly down at him in question. "What'd she say?" 

He shrugged, "I came in and she looked angry and then she asked me if you were the one who brought me home, but when I told her Nonna did, she looked even _more_ mad . . . What'd you do, Coley?" 

She swallowed as they made their way towards the front door, getting a warning glance of the woman inside from Curtis. She looked up at Wynonna as she opened the door and walked in behind her, then looking down to her brother. "Hey, go up and get that paper you need me to sign. I'll be up in a secon-" 

_"Haught."_

They both looked up, but it was obvious that Gus' glare was on the older one. She gave Nash a nudge towards the stairs. "Go on." He looked up at her with a saddened brow, but listened anyway. 

Nicole’s stomach rolled over as she slowly walked to the kitchen, for she was expecting the worst, but she noticed that Wynonna had beaten her to it. She was standing in front of the woman, mumbling something to her that she couldn’t hear. Nicole stopped by the doorway, hugging her arms to her chest as she watched her face, seeing it soften as she flicked her eyes towards her while Wynonna continued to talk. She quickly realized that she must have been explaining what had happened to her aunt, and she felt even worse about it than she had before. 

Wynonna stepped away from her after a minute and they both looked towards her. The older woman looked towards the brunette and she got the message, stepping away into the living room. The junior slowly walked over to her with a saddened downward cast of her eyes. Gus took a step towards her, pushing her chin up. “Look at me.” She raised her eyes. “I’m not gonna stand here and say I’m not upset with you, but I will say that I had not known the reason before . . . I get that’s all a helluva lot for you right now, but if it was to the point where you couldn’t have even _stayed_ there anymore, you should have _called me_ , Nicole. I would have came and got you. I know you’re not some little kid, but I’m not gonna have you having panic attacks all day long."

"I know," she mumbled.

". . . You be damn glad I didn’t get the call until the end of the day or I woulda been out lookin’ for your ass . . . So are we clear? You’re gonna let me know next time?” 

She nodded with a swallow, “I’m sorry.” 

Gus’ brow furrowed sadly and pulled her into a hug. “Just don’t be doin’ that, Kid. You had me worried sick.”

Nicole pushed her head into her shoulder, squeezing her eyes together. “I won’t.” 

Gus gave her back a pat as she pulled away. “Good.” She watched as she continued to fight back the tears in her eyes. “If you need another day, you are more than welcome to stay home tomorrow to get your thoughts in order.”

The junior shook her head. “I’m kinda on the basketball team now.” 

Her face lit up. “Are you now?” She nodded. Gus reached out and squeezed her arm. “Well, I’m happy for ya.” 

“. . . I also quit McDonald’s so I could be on it?” 

Her mouth came open slightly in confusion, but she righted it. “So you’re switching to full time on the farm then?” 

“I think so, yea.” 

She nodded, turning back to the stove where she had previously been cooking. “I’m sure Curtis won’t mind. He says you did a great job yesterday.” Nicole gave her a little smile. “Ok, well, dinner’ll be done in half an hour. And, uh, I’ll give the school a call tomorrow morning to try and rope you out of the detention they’re trying to shove you in. I don’t need you kicked off the team before you’ve even started.” 

The redhead gave her a nod, walking towards the steps. “. . . Thank you, Gus.” 

“No problem, Kid.”

**January 21st, 2019 3:26 PM**

Waverly threw her hair up into a high pony and shut her locker, grabbing her shoes and sitting down onto the bench in the locker room to slip them on. It was finally Friday, and that meant it was the last cheer practice for the week until Monday. She pulled them on and tied them before making her way out into the main gym, eyes widening when she saw that all the basketball girls were in there _once again_. 

Their cheer coach had been having a fit over the past week because _apparently_ they were supposed to be practicing in the small gym, _not_ the new gym. In her opinion, _it wasn’t fair that they got to use it two times a day, every day_ . The brunette looked over and saw that she was having a _chat_ with the coach and sighed, making her way towards the bleachers and having a seat. They were probably going to be there for a while. _Again_. 

She let her eyes wander over the players, seeing Wynonna and Nicole doing _something_ involving them both sprinting down the gym floor, racing it seemed as they each dribbled the ball and tried to make the first layup. She rolled her eyes but smiled a bit when she saw the grin on Nicole’s face when Wynonna started pouting after she lost. 

The redhead had started a strict schedule after Monday’s incident. She’d wake up, go to morning practice, go to school, go to after school practice, help on the farm, come home with Curtis when Gus beckoned them for dinner, and head straight up to her room to not be seen until the next morning. It was very unusual for her. She’d usually be downstairs until Gus made them go to sleep, either screwing around outside or playing on the Xbox with Wynonna and Nash. But now it was just Wynonna and her Mini-Me. She had even checked on her a few times, and each time she was either sleeping or buried under a pile of blankets reading.

Waverly hated seeing her like that. Well, she usually hated seeing her in general, but like that _especially_ . So seeing her at least _seeming_ to be having a little fun was a bit of a relief. 

But she wasn’t going to lie. Watching her rock out some pull-ups, hanging on the rim in a tight blue sleeveless hoodie and some grey basketball shorts all hot and sweaty, most likely teasing the still-pouting Wynonna standing next to it, was a _mighty fine_ sight. In fact, getting to watch her either warming up or playing every day this week while their coaches were fighting with one another was affecting her in some ways that she’d rather _not_ talk about. But it was. And she knew it, though she would never admit it. 

It took her a second to realize that Nicole had turned her head and caught her eye. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked away, feeling the burning fire on her cheeks. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw the redhead rolling her eyes and shaking her head with a smile before dropping down and walking over to her coach, for their hissy fit had finally calmed down. Waverly stood up off the bleachers and let out a slow breath, pulling her spandex shorts down her legs a little as they all followed their grumpy pregnant cheer coach down to the old gym. 

**January 22nd, 2019 2:02 AM**

Nicole pushed the glasses up her nose, flipping the page of her book and propping it up more on her brother’s back, for he was sleeping on top of her. She wasn’t mad about it at all, though, because she honestly needed to feel someone’s body heat at the moment.

Her thoughts were still spinning rampant and had been all week. She hadn’t spoken to Fish again since she had first seen him, although they _had_ shared some glances each time they saw one another in the halls or at their lockers. She knew he got her on a level that only a few other people did, and that meant that he knew it was best to just let her figure it all out on her own. That’s all she had ever done and it’s all she ever planned to do. 

She wanted to talk to him. She really did. But she didn’t know if her brain was ready for what her heart was ready for. He’d tell her anything she wanted to know. Anything and everything. And she _did_ want to know everything, but she didn’t know if she was quite ready to open all of that up yet. It was a lot. A lot of things she hadn’t thought about in _months_. In her new life now, it was hard to comprehend how she once lived like that. All of the constant fear and worry and dread and regret. She had little to none of that now, and it was so amazing and she was the most thankful person in the world that she had the most amazing best friend that took them in.

But that didn’t mean she took advantage of it. She hadn’t forgotten what it was like when she didn’t have any of what she had now. And she never would. 

She flipped to the next page of her book, taking a second to change her music before sliding her eyes across the words. She was averaging a book a day at this point this week and was pretty sure the librarian was tired of her already, but she couldn’t care less. 

Several minutes passed while the pages turned and she was really enjoying herself if she was being honest. Nash’s weight on her and his steady breathing was calming her anxiety, not to mention that he looked adorable when he slept. And her book was one of the better ones she had read that week. Plus the shuffle on her music was being more decent than normal in choosing what songs she was in the mood for. The song that she was listening to was a slow fading song, so she had the privilege of hearing her brother’s light snoring for a couple of seconds as it pushed past the barrier of her earbuds. 

Though, it was suddenly obvious that maybe that _wasn’t_ the noise she should be focusing on. 

Nicole’s brow hitched and she set her book down on the mattress, pulling the earbuds out of her ears and listening again. Her eyes shot open when she realized that she had heard what she thought she had heard. 

Waverly was _moaning_. 

Her face immediately soured, for she first assumed that she had snuck Champ in, but she didn’t hear any of the _telltale signs_ that he was in the room. She then assumed that she was having a little late-night _Waverly Time_ , but she knew she was smart enough to keep it quiet in a house full of people. It _was_ quiet, but not quiet enough. Alas, she came to her final conclusion; one that made her just as uneasy as the rest:

She was having a sex dream. 

Just the _thought_ of her having a dream about Champ that somehow, judging by the way she was voicing herself, was pretty damn good was enough to disgust her to the extreme. But for some reason, it made her angry. Angry like she hadn’t been in a while. So angry, in fact, that she took the time to gently roll Nash off of her, but that was it. She ripped her door open and made her way downstairs. Trying to be a _little_ quiet, she slowly turned the faucet on as she shoved the cup under it, turning on her heel and _silently_ marching back up the stairs. She pushed her door open before walking straight over to her bed and dumping the cold water on her head. 

Waverly shot up in bed with a shriek, clapping her hands over her face and wiping the cold liquid off of her. She looked towards the redhead after she tossed the plastic cup at her. "What the _fuck_?" She hissed, quiet not to wake the house if she hadn't already with her scream. 

"Do you mind _not_ dreaming about Champ fucking your brains out when we sleep by the _same_ wall? Cause I'd really appreciate it if I didn't hear that."

Her eyes shot wide open at her. "What?!" It took a second for it all to come back to her, but then it did. Her face suddenly went from shocked and confused to absolutely horrified. She knew exactly what had happened now, but it seemed that the redhead didn't. 

Because her dream had _definitely_ not been about Champ. 

"Don't _what_ me. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." 

"Oh my God, fuck off, Nicole." She threw the cup back at her and got off the bed, ripping her wet t-shirt off and pulling a hoodie on from her closet. She went to turn back around, but Nicole was more than happy to do it for her. 

"Listen to me right _fucking_ now, alright?" She held her dangerously close with her hand fisted into the neck of her hoodie. "I'm _done_ . I am _done_ with you _fucking_ with my head _over_ and _over_ . You’re in a relationship, and that's fine. That's great. But I think you need to start _being_ in that relationship. I'm not your fucking play toy. So either make up your _damn_ mind or leave me the _hell_ alone. I've been a homewrecker before and I told myself I'd _never_ do it again if I knew . . . And I don't know why I even let it get this far, but . . ." She shook her head, letting her go and moving towards the door. 

Waverly swallowed the lump in her throat, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "No, what were you gonna say?" 

She jerked her arm away with a hard jaw. "Nothing." 

Nicole went to leave again, but she grabbed her with a harder grip. "No, seriously." 

"I wasn't going to say anything! Why the hell do you care anyway?" 

Her brow furrowed as her grip loosened on her wrist. ". . . You want me to make a decision, don't you?" Nicole's eyes widened. "How'm I supposed to do that if I don't know why you 'let it get this far'?" 

The redhead grit her teeth, looking down into her begging eyes. “. . . Waverly, I can’t _control_ myself around you. I don’t know why, but I _can’t_. And you are just going to get yourself hurt because of it.” She pulled her arm away, giving her one last attempt at a glare before leaving her room. 

Nicole’s body went into autopilot. Her feet took her from the doorway down the stairs and out the front door, straight to the barn. She jerked open the side door, knowing that there was a little room set up in there. She grumbled out a few curses before dropping onto the twin-sized bed, groaning loudly into the pillow. 

She had a crush on her best friend’s little sister.

And there was nothing she could do about it.


	12. You Wanted It Straight and You Got It Straight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's meet Fish, shall we?  
> Oh. And Charlie  
> Ohh, and a lil backstory, too? Heck yEA  
> ...not that much wayhaught though, I'm sincerely sorry  
> WE'RE GETTING THERE, OK?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QuEeF:  
> Issa mess. It's chill tho. We split this ch from the next part cause it was way too many plot points to deal with so that's why its kinda short even though its been a while. We've got like 4k more words already for the next part.   
> Solace is dealing w the LAW rn cause shes a dumb hoe taking be gay do crimes to a whole new level so she's been a lil preoccupied, so she gets to read what this consists of w y'all. (She told me to tell you to also be gay and do crimes tho)  
> AND I KNOW U GUYS ARE WAITING FOR WAYHAUGHT TO GET TOGETHER, TRUST ME WE ARE TOO. IT'S COMING. I PROMISE. WE'RE JUST BUILDING UP SO IT IS THAT MUCH BETTER FOR U GUYS WHEN IT HAPPENS  
> Love y'all   
> Thanks for putting up w our bullshit

**January 22nd, 2019 9:27 AM**

Nicole pushed open their bedroom door, seeing her brother laying on the floor reading his new book. “Hey, Bug?” 

“Shh, thissa good part,” he mumbled, flipping the page. The junior rolled her eyes with a smile, using the silence to change into whatever she was going to be wearing to the eye doctor appointment they were being forced to. 

She pulled on the black jacket and plopped a grey snapback on her head, turning back to face him. “May I speak now?” 

He looked up at her with a little glare but closed the book anyway. “Yes.” 

“Good.” She moved across the room and sat down on their bed, pulling her legs up on it. “Can we talk about something?” 

He slowly stood, sitting in front of her. “Why?” 

“Cause it’s important.” 

“Ok . . . What?” 

She looked in his eyes for a few seconds as he stared back at her in wonder of what in the world she needed to talk about. “. . . So I talked to Gus earlier.” 

“Good job?” He said slowly.

She threw him a look. “Nash, I’m serious.” 

“ _ What _ , Cole?!” He huffed, throwing his arms out and leaning back against the footboard.

“I asked her . . . And she said she doesn’t have a problem with me moving out into the room in the barn.” 

He hitched his brow at her as if she was crazy with a little scoff. “No.”

She pursed her lips at him. “Bug, you get your  _ own  _ room. You’ve  _ never  _ had your own room before.” 

“Well, I don’t  _ want  _ my own room,” he grumbled, pushing off the bed and going back to his book on the floor. “You’re not leaving me, Cole.” 

“Ok, well . . . It’s not really your choice, sorry to tell ya.”

He quickly spun around. “It is,  _ too _ !” 

She pursed her lips at him, throwing her legs back over the side of the bed. “You are  _ seven _ . You are  _ more  _ than old enough to sleep by yourself.” 

His brow furrowed tightly. “But I don’t want to!” He walked over and pushed in between her legs, his small hands gripping onto the front of her grey t-shirt as his voice got quiet, “I can’t sleep when you’re not there, Coley.” 

“Yes, you can. I’ve  _ seen  _ you, Bug.” 

“No, I  _ can’t _ ,” he whined. 

“You slept fine last night.” He looked at her in confusion. “I slept out there last night, and look at you!” She pushed her hand through his hair with a smile. “You are well-rested and  _ ready _ to have your own room.” 

“But I don’t  _ want  _ my own room!” He wiggled her shirt and she grabbed his wrists, tipping her head at him. “We’ve  _ always  _ shared a room. Why can’t we now?” 

“Yea, that’s  _ why _ . We’ve always had to share  _ everything  _ we have. But sometimes it’s nice to have your own  _ space _ . Your own  _ things _ . This way you’ll be able to. And so will I.” His face scrunched up at her and an angry tear burned down his cheek as he pushed away from her. She stood up with a huff, “Nash, c’mon, you’ve never even  _ tried  _ having your own room. How do you know that you don’t want one?” 

He spun around and shoved her stomach. “You just don’t  _ want  _ me anymore, Cole!” 

Her face saddened. “. . . You know that’s not true, Bug,” she said with a shake of her head. 

“Yes, it is!” He pushed past her. “You’re abandoning me,  _ just  _ like Daddy!” 

Her eyes shot out of her head just as fast as the anger colored her face. “ _ Hey _ !” She whipped around and grabbed him by the arm before he could go out the door. She dropped to a knee, tugging him right in front of her. “Don’t you  _ ever _ compare me to  _ him _ again,” she snapped through her teeth. “There is  _ nothing  _ similar between us and you know that for a  _ fact, _ Nash Haught, so don’t you even  _ think  _ for a  _ second  _ that him and I are of the same.  _ Do _ I make myself clear?” Her voice was thick with emotion as it bounced off the walls. More tears rolled down his cheeks, yet the older one was not sure of their origin anymore. He gave her a slow nod and she released her grip on his arm. “There is no way in  _ hell  _ I would  _ ever  _ think about abandoning you.” She stood and pulled open the door, stepping around him. “Get your ass ready to go and  _ fix  _ the attitude. I’m not gonna have you being a little shit to Curtis all day.” The boy didn’t turn back to look at her, so she closed the door and let out a shaky breath as she walked down the hall. 

She never yelled at him like that.  _ Never _ . She could count the times she had on one hand. But Nash had also never said she was like their dad in  _ any  _ way, and she honestly wasn’t shocked that  _ that  _ was the reaction she had to it. Because the fact that she had to carry his  _ last name  _ around with her was too much,  _ let alone  _ being told she was parenting him like the man had.  _ Well _ , lacking in the parenting like he had. 

She walked to the bathroom at the end of the hall and set her glasses on the sink as she splashed some water on her face, rubbing her hands up and down it a few times before using the towel to dry herself off. She pushed her glasses back on and looked at herself for a second before walking out and heading downstairs. 

Curtis was leaning back on the couch with his arms crossed, eyes set on her. She walked over to him with a sigh. “Is everything alright?” He asked gently. 

She nodded, letting go of her cheek with her teeth. “He’s getting ready now.” 

“That’s not what I asked, Kid,” he said slowly. 

Nicole clenched her jaw, knowing he had heard the yelling. “. . . Let’s just say he’s not too fond of the idea of me moving to the barn and leave it at that.” She stuck her hands in her jogger pockets and moved towards the front door. 

“. . . What he said’s not true, Nicole.” 

The redhead turned her head back to look at him, biting back the emotions crawling up her throat. She gave him a small smile with a nod, “Thank you.” She pulled the door open, letting out a breath as she walked outside, climbing into the passenger's seat of Curtis’ truck. 

**9:52 AM**

The trio arrived at the eye doctor after a  _ very  _ quiet car ride. Thankfully it had only taken them around 10 minutes to get there. Curtis worked on signing them in for their 10 o’clock appointment and Nicole found a seat in the waiting room, watching as Nash chose to stay glued to the older man’s side up at the front desk. She let out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair and dug her phone out of her pocket, sneakily sending a picture of the really ugly dude across the room to Wynonna, asking if she’d slept with him. 

Because she  _ honestly  _ had nothing better to do. 

They returned and Curtis handed her two clipboards to fill out, one for each of them. She set one on the little table next to her and propped the other up on her lap. She was  _ about  _ to start writing, but she noticed that a certain redhead was standing in front of her. She raised her eyes to her brother, lifting her eyebrows in question. But she knew what he wanted by the look on his face. Nicole let out a heavy sigh as she sat up and moved her arms, allowing him to climb up onto her lap. He curled his hand into her shirt, leaning his head on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him so she could still write. 

“. . . I didn’t mean it, Coley,” he mumbled after a few minutes. 

She paused the pen’s movements on the paper for only a second before continuing on. “I know you didn’t . . . But it still really hurt, Bug.” 

“I know. I’m sorry.” 

Nicole let out a sigh as she squeezed her arm around him, closing her eyes as she pushed a kiss to the side of his forehead. “And I’m sorry I yelled at you like that.” 

“I deserved it,” he mumbled with a small shrug. 

“Yea, you  _ did  _ deserve it . . . But I’m still sorry.” 

“It’s ok.” He lifted his head and pushed a kiss to her cheek, and she smiled, giving him another squeeze. 

“We cool now?” 

“Yea,” he sighed, dropping his head back to her shoulder and watching her write. “. . . I guess we can  _ try  _ having our own rooms.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Yea?” 

“Yea,” Nash agreed. “I can’t sleep with my sister forever. Then I’d never get married.” 

“Oh, you most certainly would  _ not _ ,” Nicole said, chuckling at what she was  _ very glad _ he didn’t understand. 

**January 24th, 2019 3:12 PM**

School had just gotten out all but two minutes before and Nicole was at her locker, shoving her books from the day a little bit slower than usual. She was contemplating the decision that had kept her up all night and zoned out all day long. 

She let out a quick breath as she closed her locker and turned around. “Fish.” 

The senior turned his head towards her from across the hall with a cocked eyebrow, but they evened when he met her eyes. Nicole leaned back against her locker as he walked over to her, pushing his hand into his jean pocket as he leaned his side against them next to her. “Red.” 

She was quiet for a moment as she ran her tongue across the inside of her lip. “. . . I’ve got to pick up Nash and then I have practice until 5:30. But after that?”

A wicked grin took over his face. “You’re all mine.” 

She smirked, pushing off the locker and smacking his ass. “Hell yea, Baby.” 

He smacked her with a gag. “Ew.” 

She laughed, turning down the hall. “C’mon. I’m sure he wants to see you.” 

**3:19 PM**

Nash jumped in the front seat of Nicole’s car and she pulled away from the school. “D’you have a good day?” 

“Uh-huh. Look!” He unzipped his backpack and opened it towards her. “I got new books!” 

She widened her eyes at it with a little chuckle. “D’you take the whole library?” His smile only widened as he began to sort through them, reading off all of the titles to her. She turned back into the high school lot and parked in her spot, pulling the keys out of the ignition as he finished up. “Alright, you ready?” 

“Ya.” He unbuckled and climbed out of the car and she rounded the front. 

The younger one jumped towards her when the back car door opened, but his eyes widened up at Fish as he smiled down at him. He had been in the car the whole time, but had stayed silent. “Those are some cool books, Little Red.” 

Nash let out some sort of incoherent scream-cry-yell as he dropped his bag and pounced at him, and Fish caught him, lifting him up and hugging his arms around him as he squeezed his arms around his neck. He let out a little laugh, “Hey, Bud.” 

“I missed you,” he mumbled into his shoulder. 

He squeezed him a little tighter. “I missed you, too.” 

Waverly watched the interaction as she climbed out of her jeep and threw her cheer bag over her shoulder. She had forgotten it there that morning before she went in for the day. She had no idea who the dude was, but it was apparent that the Haught’s did. She let out a sigh as she turned and headed for the entrance. It was none of her business, nor did she care anyway. 

Nope. She didn’t. Not at all.

She and Nicole hadn’t talked since the  _ incident _ over the weekend and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad about it. All she knew was that she had been having a  _ wild  _ sex dream that involved her, Nicole, and her back against the lockers in the locker room. She didn’t know  _ why  _ it happened, but she was absolutely horrified that this would be the first time going  _ into _ said locker room while she was  _ also  _ in there, for they had a walk day in PE earlier because their gym teacher hadn’t been there. 

She looked up from her phone, rolling her eyes when she noticed that the three had caught up to her and were now barely trailing behind. She carried on across the parking lot, looking back down at her Snapchat.

That was, until she felt her legs twist around under her.

She let out a gasp as she tried to catch her balance, only to feel hands on her waist as Nicole jerked her towards her. Her wide eyes snapped up to meet the smug expression on her face. “Hey, there’s some ice there.”

She threw her a glare. “Wow, really? I didn’t notice.” 

She raised her brows as she let go of her, taking the phone out of her hand. “Maybe if you put  _ this  _ away and stop trying to avoid me, you  _ won’t  _ almost bust your ass.” 

She grabbed it back out of her hands, stepping over the sheet of ice and continuing forward. “I’m not  _ avoiding  _ you.” 

“Really? So you just  _ happened  _ to need to leave the room each time I walked in all weekend?” 

“Aren’t _you_ the one who told me to leave you alone?” 

“Yea. I said  _ leave  _ me alone. Not  _ go out of your way to not be around me _ . We live in the same  _ house _ , Dude. I’d prefer it if it wasn’t  _ weird  _ all the time.” 

Waverly stopped in front of the door and turned around with a huff, “Well you know what, Haught? I have a feeling things are  _ always  _ going to be  _ weird  _ between us considering not only  _ all of that  _ but also the fact that the  _ only  _ thing two of my best friends talk about anymore is how  _ amazing  _ you are in bed in  _ way  _ too vivid details for my liking.” She pulled open the door and walked in, heading down the hall towards the gym. 

Nicole blinked at her as she went for several seconds before pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fish, Waverly Earp. Waverly Earp, Fish.” 

She held the door open as he walked through with a bark of laughter, hoisting her brother up a little bit. “Oh my God, you’ve got a thing for Wynonna’s baby sister? Dude, you are so fucked.” 

Nash’s head shot up. “You like Waverly?!” 

She smacked her hand over his mouth. “Shh!  _ Jeez _ , Bug.” 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, his voice muffled by her palm. 

The junior removed it with a small glare before flicking her eyes to Fish. “We will talk about it when  _ someone  _ isn’t around to listen.” Her eyes went back to her brother. 

“Hey! That’s not fair! I want the tea, too!” 

They both looked towards him in confusion and amusement all wrapped up together. “Where’d you learn that?” Fish questioned with a little chuckle. 

“RuPaul,” he answered with a proud smile. 

Nicole’s brows raised. “And when were you watching RuPaul?” 

“With Waverly and Nonna yesterday when you were at the farm.” 

They entered the gym as she slowly blinked at him. “. . . Alright then.” She would  _ most definitely  _ be teasing Wynonna about that later. 

**6:15 PM**

After dropping Nash off, taking a quick shower, and promising Gus she’d be home by 11, she was driving back into town to pick Fish up from the Chinese place that he had gone to go grab them some dinner. 

Well,  _ kinda  _ pick him up. 

“D’you find it?” He asked as she got out of the car, pushing off the wall of the restaurant with the bag of take-out boxes in his hand and walking towards her. 

Nicole smirked as she opened her trunk, pulling her skateboard out. Sure, it was kinda old and pretty banged up, but she knew it rode as smooth as ever. Fish had actually bought it for her years ago. Mostly because the deck design had flames on it and he thought it was hilarious, but she turned out to love it. “It was just under some crap back here.” She closed the trunk and shoved it under her arm, locking her car as they walked out of the gravel parking lot. 

“Where are we heading?” 

She looked towards him with a little smirk. “I know a _great_ place. But only if you can keep up.” She quickly took off with a jogging start before dropping the board and hopping on, but by the sound of the wheels hitting the gaps in the sidewalk behind her, it wasn’t shocking that he was doing just fine. 

Before her  _ owning a car  _ days, she rode  _ everywhere _ . Up and down all the streets and alleys of The City. Not only was it the fastest way to get around, but she loved it, too. She always felt so free while she was on a board, and she had no one else to thank but Fish for it because he was the one who introduced it to her. But after she _did_ get a car, she stopped doing it as much. And she only really realized now how much she missed it. 

After a couple of twists and turns and being jackasses, doing tricks off curbs and such, within 15 minutes they were where they needed to be. “Well, damn, Haught. I wouldn’t have gotten Chinese if I knew this is where we were gonna end up.”

She threw him a look, “We’re not eating here, you dumbass. C’mon.” She leaned her board against the wall and held the door open for him as they walked inside. 

“Well, would ya  _ look  _ what the cat dragged in!” Vikki walked around the counter with a beaming smile, and Nicole pulled her into a hug, for she hadn’t seen her for quite a few days now. 

“Hey. How’re you?” 

“Better now that I’ve seen those dimples today,” she answered as she pulled back, only making them deepen on the redhead’s face, 

“Well, I’m glad I was of service.” 

She let out a little chuckle as her eyes drifted to the boy next to her. “You must be Fish then, huh?” The soft smile never left her face as she spoke. 

He nodded, looking towards the redhead with a laugh for a second, “I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing that you’ve heard my name before.”

“Oh, all good. I can assure you.” Her eyes drifted down to the bag in his hand. “Well, since it seems you two are not here to eat, what  _ are  _ you here for?” 

“I was just wondering if you were okay with us being on the roof,” Nicole said with a begging smile. 

“Well, as long as one of those fortune cookies are for me, I don’t see no problem at all.” Fish chuckled, reaching into the bag and handing one over. 

“Oh, and maybe some water cups, too, since this wise guy forgot to get us drinks?”

She let out a tut as she walked around the counter and smacked two regular drink cups in front of her. “Get you some damn soda, Girl.” 

“Vik-” 

“Ah!” She raised her finger in warning. “Go. Y’all have a good time, now.” 

The junior let out a sigh as she grabbed them and handed him one. “Thanks, Vik,” she mumbled. 

“You are very welcome.” 

After getting their drinks, Nicole let them out a door in the back and walked over to the ladder on the side of the building. “So why are we going on the roof?” Fish asked as she began to climb. “Isn’t this illegal?”

“You’ll see, and no, it's not.” 

They made it to the top and she looked towards him, seeing that his eyes were widening in the direction that they were walking in. She dropped down, leaning back onto one of the big metal vents and he sat down beside him, looking out in front of them. “Woah.” 

“Right?” 

She had discovered not too long after starting the job that the rooftop view was perfect for watching the sun go down above the tree line in the distance. "You just know all the good spots, don't ya?" 

"I guess I do," she mumbled with a little chuckle, pulling all of the food out of the bag. “Ok. So. What’ve I been missing?” 

“Nope. Later. First, you’re gonna tell me what’s going on with  _ you _ .” 

She furrowed her brows at him. “What d’you mean  _ what’s going on with me _ ?” 

“I  _ mean  _ that I haven’t seen you in almost eight months because you turned your whole damn life around out of the blue.” He tipped his head at her as he tossed her a packet of soy sauce. “So spill.” 

She pursed her lips with a sigh. “. . . I got out on December 16th. I got my car back and applied for a job here and at the Walmart down the road. I slept in my car until I got my first paycheck from both the day before Christmas; it wasn’t much, only around $300 together. But I went back to the city and found Jackass beating on Nash again. It was . . .  _ bad _ . He’s  _ still  _ bruised. But I grabbed him and his shit and came back here. I used all the money to take Bug to The Doctor, to buy myself a new phone, to enroll us both in school, to buy us school supplies, get him a haircut and a new pair of shoes, and to keep us in the motel for a few nights. At the end, I only had like $60 left, but most of that went to gas and food, so we were back in the car again.”

“God damn, Red,” he mumbled with a shake of his head. 

“Yea . . . So then school started and they told me I’d have a guide to show me around for a few days. I walked in the first morning back and there’s this  _ gorgeous  _ girl standing there and I already knew I was fucked.” 

“Waverly?” He asked with a little laugh. She nodded, rolling her eyes as she shoved a bite in her mouth. “Is she straight? She looks straight to me.”

“And  _ that’s  _ where we have our problem.” 

“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows in question.

She let out a sigh, “She has a very disgusting, very immature, very  _ asshole  _ boyfriend-” 

“Then you have  _ no  _ chan-”

She put her hand up to stop him. “ _ Hold on _ .”

Fish curled one of his knees to his chest, pursing his lips. “Holding.” 

“We almost made out once.  _ During which  _ she told me not to  _ worry  _ about said boyfriend. And since then, she’s been  _ screwing  _ with me.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “How so?” 

“Well, she lets me  _ do stuff  _ all the time-”

“What  _ stuff _ ?” Fish asked. She tipped her head at him knowingly and he put it together. “Mm.” 

“And she does it back on occasion. Also she’s always fucking staring at me. Has been since we met . . . But she can go from letting me get handsy with her to eating face with her boy-man in five minutes and-” She let out a groan, letting her head fall back. 

Fish was quiet for a moment. He knew that this whole situation was  _ not  _ normal at all for Nicole. “. . . How many other girls are you messing around with right now?”

“Two,” she answered. “. . . One of which might be her boy-toy’s little sister.”

“ _ Dude _ !”

“I didn’t know at first!”

“ _ Jesus Christ _ ,” he muttered under his breath, pushing his fingers into his eyes. “Ok. And when’s the last time you slept with either of them?”

She smirked through a bite. “I had Hardy’s sister for lunch today in the bathroom.” Fish coughed, almost choking on his food. “And the other was Saturday night cause her parents weren’t home.” 

“So they’re each basically weekly?” 

“Usually more than that,” she mumbled. 

“Ok,  _ whatever _ . . . So then what’s the big deal about Waverly? You can’t even sleep with her and you’ve got  _ two  _ that’ll let you whenever, so why even bother?” 

The redhead twirled her chopsticks around in the take-out container in her hands, looking down at it for a few moments. “. . . I . . . Fish, I haven’t felt anything like this before . . . Not even with . . .” She met his eyes, seeing how they were softer than they were before. 

“Nic . . . you’re falling for her.” 

“No fuckin’ shit. I’ve already  _ done  _ fallen. I  _ know  _ I have a crush or  _ whatever  _ on her.” 

He slowly shook his head. “No.” Her brows furrowed. “ _ A different  _ kind of falling, Haught. I’m talking l-”

“ _ Nope _ . You know what? I think we’re done talking about me. Let’s talk about you, huh?”

“Nicole . . .-”

“ _ Ambrose _ .” She tipped her head at him in warning. “ _ Your _ turn.” She saw a small flash of fear flash over his face as he looked down at his food. “Dude, c’mon. What the hell is going on over there now?” 

He was quiet for a minute before looking up at her, and her face shifted from smugly hiding worry to  _ obvious  _ worry and fear. “. . . It’s getting bad, Red.” 

“Wh-  _ How  _ bad?”

“I had to  _ leave _ bad . . . My PO told me if I didn’t, I’d probably be going to the big house in no time. I’m 18 now. They can do whatever they want.” 

Nicole’s brows furrowed tightly with a swallow. “What about everyone else?” Fish set his takeout box down and pulled his other knee up, resting his chin on it and running his hands down his face. “Fish, what the  _ fuck _ ?” 

He lifted his head as he spoke quietly, “Eliza.” 

She traced her eyes over his face. “What about her?” 

“. . . She relapsed again, Haught.” 

“You waited till  _ now  _ to tell me?! Wh-  _ When _ !? ” Eliza had been a coke addict when she first met her years ago. But with the help of her and everyone else, she got clean. Sure, she dealt, but she stayed off of it herself.  _ Most  _ of the time. This wasn’t her first slip up. 

“New Year’s . . . She OD’ed.” Nicole’s mouth dropped open, eyes pushing out of their sockets. “No, hey, Levi found her in time, though, so she’s fine now-” 

“ _ JESUS CHRIST _ , don’t  _ do  _ that to me, you  _ asshole _ !” She breathed out, shoving him away from her. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, putting his hands up. “. . . She  _ needs _ you, Nic. She needs her fucking  _ family  _ right now.” 

The junior let out a sigh, rubbing her eyes. “Fish . . .” She loved Eliza with her whole heart. She really did. And she had no doubt that she was what she needed right now. But she wasn’t going to risk everything she had to go back. “Someone has to get her here then.”

“Dude-”

“No. Ok? I’m not going back there.  _ Ever _ . I don’t care  _ what  _ is happening. I  _ love  _ Liza, but I . . . I can’t go see her there. I can’t. I won’t risk it when she’s able to get here just as easily.” 

“W- Nicole, she’s a  _ mess _ right now,” Fish said with a little huff. 

“Yea, I’m sure she is. But I’m not going back.” She shook her head, swallowing as she looked out at the sunset. The anger of it all bubbled in her chest as she looked back to him. “You say she needs her family? What are  _ you  _ doing here then? Huh? When’s the last time  _ you  _ went to see her?” 

“Woah, Red.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “Chill. I’m just . . . I think you should go see her, is all.” 

She let out a breath, chewing her lip as she met his eyes. “. . . I’ll give her a call.” The redhead could tell by the look on his face that it wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but he nodded anyway. She leaned back against the metal, taking a sip of her drink as she fixed her eyes forward again. “Anything else I should know?” 

He blew a raspberry, letting his head fall back. “I mean . . . I dunno if you  _ wanna  _ know, but . . .”

“You just told me one of my best friends turned to crack again, Fish. Does it get much worse than tha-”

“Shae.” 

Her head snapped towards him, eyes widened. “What about her?” 

“Nic . . . Why do you care after _everything_ she put you th-”

“What  _ about  _ her, Fish?” 

He clenched his jaw, making one leg fall flat with a sigh. “She . . . She beat the  _ hell _ out of an old lady. Said she thought she saw her dealing. 12 got her and took her in.” 

“She turned 18 in August,” Nicole mumbled. 

He nodded. “. . . It was September.” She slowly looked towards him. “They were gonna put her away but . . . She was acquitted within a month.” 

“What? How?” 

“She had a  _ real  _ good lawyer.” 

“How the hell’d she afford  _ that _ ?” 

Fish was quiet for a second. “She didn’t pay for him . . . Bobo did.” 

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “ _ Bobo _ ? Why does he care about her?”

“Cause . . .” He let out a heavy sigh. “Cause she’s seeing his brother now, Haught.” 

Her brows raised as she blinked at him for a few seconds. She did a slow shake of her head, letting out a little laugh as she grabbed her beanie off her head and pulled a cigarette out of the fold. She grabbed her lighter out of the side of her shoe and lit it, bringing it to her lips. She blew the cloud of smoke out slowly and rubbed her thumb on the top of her right thigh. “Of  _ course  _ she is.” 

**January 25th, 2019 6:40 PM**

“Like that?” The redhead spoke through a grunt. 

Charlie clapped once with pride, standing up straight. “Yup. Just like that, Red.” 

“ _ Hey _ , watch it. I told you what would happen if you called me that again.” Though she  _ was  _ dead serious, she broke into laughter when she saw the boy’s devilish smile. Their moment, however, was quickly dampered by the distant sound of a shrill, surprised giggle followed by a certain boy-man’s gross grunt-laugh. 

“ _ Ugh _ ,” Charlie snarled. Nicole studied his face for more information. He must have sensed it, for he turned to meet her peering eyes. “I mean . . . uh . . .” He looked a little relieved when he read the redhead’s eyes; he knew she was feeling the exact same way. “I hate that Champ kid. Waverly, she- She’s worth  _ so  _ much more than the way that piece of  _ garbage  _ treats her.” Charlie didn’t see the flash of envious fires in the girl’s eyes since he turned back to glare in Champ’s direction. 

“You like her, huh?” Nicole didn’t mean for the words to sound so sharp and accusing, but they earned her a quick side look from the boy anyway. 

“No! No no! Nothing like that.” He chuckled softly when he saw her frame instantly release the tension she didn’t even realize she held captive in her muscles. “I basically grew up on this farm. Curtis . . . He’s a good man. And when the whole world saw nothing but a troubled teen, he saw a troubled kid with potential. A kid that needed a chance and an outlet. He took me in . . . much like I suppose he brought you in.” The last part was more of a question than a statement, for Charlie didn’t know for sure. 

“Yeah, something like that,” she mumbled, looking down and picking the dirt off her fingers. 

“Thought so. I can recognize a fellow street rat when I see one.” Though she rolled her eyes, Nicole chuckled along as she listened to him finish. “So I’ve been here for a good while and watched Waverly grow up, too. I never knew my family, or if I even ever had one, so I don’t know. I guess I just assumed the role of a big brother for the little Earp. ‘Specially when Wynonna fell into trouble and skipped town for a while.” 

“So you filled in her spot and took care of Waverly?” The redhead was now piecing it all together. 

“Yeah, just like you filled in and took care of Wy when no one here could.” They shared a brief but meaningful gaze before their attention was brought back to the giggles and squeals that were now turning into fading  _ Champ, stop _ ’s and  _ Put me down’s _ as it seemed they left the barn. 

“So you don’t  _ like  _ her. You love her like a sister?” 

He spit off to the side, leaning back against the railing he was standing near with a nod. “And  _ that’s  _ why I hate that Champ kid.” 

“Yea, well . . .” She wiped her hands off on her pants. “That makes two of us there, Dude.” 

Charlie raised his brow in question. “But  _ you _ like her, huh?” 

Nicole’s eyes widened towards him as guilt stormed her face and he let out a snort. She groaned, leaning back against the wall and running her hand down her face. “Is it  _ really  _ that obvious?” 

She was still comprehending the whole talk she had with Fish the night before. After all of the depressing stuff was out of the way, they had a really good time. Yea, some stuff was still swirling around in the back of her brain, but it was nothing that she couldn’t handle. She honestly missed having him around to bullshit with, and the night really reminded her of how close they were.

But what he had said about her feelings for Waverly? She was nowhere  _ near  _ ready to even  _ think  _ about any of that. 

So she wasn’t going to.

“I mean, kinda, yea,” Charlie shrugged, motioning for her to follow him. “You’ve got that  _ look  _ in your eye, Haught.”

She let out a sigh, shoving her hands into her pockets as they walked outside and over towards the cow pen. “ _ Fantastic _ .” 

He looked towards her, smiling as he bumped her. “If it makes you feel any better, she’s got a look in her eye, too.” 

“Yea, for Meathead,” Nicole muttered. 

“No . . . I don’t think so.” He leaned against the fence.

“Ok, well, it’s not gonna happen.” She looked down as one of the younger cows strolled over to her, nudging his head into her hand through the gap in the metal fence. “Hi, Bud,” she chuckled as she pet him. 

“He likes you.” 

She turned her head, seeing that Waverly and Champ were walking up from behind them. “You think?” She asked the brunette as she walked towards her. 

“I do think,” she nodded, smiling down at the calf as she gave him a pet when he moved towards her. “Hi, Pancake!” 

“Pancake?” Nicole asked flatly. 

“Do you have a  _ problem  _ with that?” She asked with a testing raise of her brow. 

She put her hands up, shaking her head with a smirk. “Pancake’s great.” 

A small smile tugged at the sophomore’s lips as she looked up at her, “That’s what I thought.” That smile was quick to fade when the flanneled arms of Champ wrapped around her middle and pulled her back into him. “Babe, c’mon. Quit.” She pulled at his wrists with a tut, but he wouldn’t budge. 

Charlie stepped towards him and pulled at his bicep with a roll of his eyes. “Knock it off, Hardy.” 

Champ let her go, but was quick to turn towards the other boy as he flicked his hand off him. “Don’t touch me, Man.” 

“Then leave her the  _ hell  _ alone,” he scoffed. 

“Champ . . .” Waverly said slowly, recognizing the way his teeth grit. Nicole looked carefully between them as Charlie sized him up. 

Champ took a step towards him. “Last time  _ I _ checked, she’s  _ my _ girlfriend and I can do  _ whatever  _ I want.” 

Charlie was quick to shove him backward. “She’s not your fucking  _ property _ , you  _ hound _ , and you need to quit treating her like she is!” 

Nicole immediatly roped her arm around Waverly’s waist and took a few steps back, tugging her towards her out of the way. Champ pulled his sleeves up as he pushed him back, and they both got fired up, spewing curses at one another. The redhead moved the brunette back more as she put herself in between them before they could go at one another’s throats anymore. “Cool it! Both of you!” 

She walked the boy-man a few steps back, but he roughly shoved her off him. “Get your hands off me, you fucking  _ fag _ !” 

“ _ Champ _ !” Waverly snapped.

The junior’s eyes were quick to harden as her face tensed and fists balled at her sides, but the brunette stepped in front of her and gently pushed her hands into her stomach to push her back a couple of steps until Charlie’s hands were on her shoulders. Waverly whipped around and shoved her finger into Champ’s chest. “Don’t you _ever_ call her that again, or I’m gonna rip your-” Her eyes snapped down to his arm and she grabbed his wrist, eyes popping out when she pulled his sleeve up all the way. “Champ . . .” Her voice wavered slightly as she slowly lifted her wide eyes to his face. 

“Noo, it was supposed to be a  _ surprise _ ,” he whined, pulling his arm away. 

She shook her head. “You didn’t get my name on your arm, Champ,” she mumbled, almost in disbelief. 

He gave her a little smile, holding the inside of his forearm out again to reveal his new ink. “Do you like it?” 

The sophomore’s mouth continued to hang open as she looked back down at it. “No . . . I  _ literally  _ mean you  _ didn’t  _ get my name on your arm. It’s  _ spelled  _ wrong!” She lifted it up towards his face. “W A V E R L  _ E _ Y? Really?! You can’t even spell my fucking  _ name _ ?!” She pushed past him with a scoff as she stomped away towards the main barn. “ _ God _ .” 

“Wave! No! C’mon, yea I do!” He turned and chased after her, whining out one apology after another. 

The two left blinked at them for a couple of seconds before Charlie gave her shoulders a squeeze and dropped his hands. “. . . Well then.” 

She turned around, pushing her hand through her hair. “Is it weird that I’m not surprised he did something  _ that  _ dumb?” 

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, a slow smile inching onto his face. “Cause I’m not either.” 

Nicole let out a snort, looking around him at Curtis’ truck approaching up the driveway. His window rolled down and they both gave him a smile. “Let’s go, Haught.” 

“Why?” 

“Gus went and picked up y’alls new goggles and wants to make sure they work for ya. Where’s that brother of yours?” 

She looked around for a second before bringing her fingers to her mouth and blowing a whistle, seeing his head poke out of the smaller barn up the driveway after a couple of seconds. “Let’s go!” He walked out of the barn and she rolled her eyes as she started for Curtis’ truck. “Put the  _ cat  _ down!” 

He dropped it and ran over and she looked towards Charlie, giving him a little nod. He shot her a wink as she opened the door, letting Nash climb in first. “Go spy on them, would ya?” 

“Already planned on it,” he smirked, giving her a wave as she climbed in and Curtis pulled away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love Mommy  
> SNOR BITCHE  
> JONK  
> ThicCKQUE  
> Be gay, do crimes
> 
> Lawrdy lawrdy, Champ, smh


	13. Not the Sights You Want to See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole's first basketball game with the Blue Devils

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all. it’s solace. Evading the law for a little bit so I could help my friend out. Both Queef and I are fucking Going Through It right now and she couldn’t really write the notes. In the comments if you’re gonna leave one just do me one big favor and thank Queef for everything she’s done. I’ve been laxed on my involvement because of previously mentioned Legal Issues, so Queef really has stepped up and took control and I am so fucking grateful for her. One of my dearest friends, one of the few hard working and persevering young adults I know. Let’s take a moment to show some extra love to her and tell her gay ass everything will be alright 🖤. Alright guys, enjoy!

**January 25th, 2019 7:04 PM**

“Why?” Nicole asked slowly as she lifted the box that had been sitting next to her new glasses. 

“Contacts,” Gus said, leaning her hip against the table as Nash ran around and looked at everything that he could now see clearly for the first time  _ ever _ . He now wore some dark brown browline frames.

“I like my glasses though.” She pulled the new pair off her face, looking down at them. They were the same black rounded square frames as her last, just with better lenses. 

“I know you do, Hun. These are just for basketball that way nothing happens to those and you don’t gotta worry about ‘em falling off of ya.” The redhead’s brows raised with the smile that pushed on her face. “C’mon. Let’s go try ‘em out so you can wear them tomorrow night.” 

Nicole gathered all of the things that were sitting on the table and followed her into the bathroom. She was playing her first game tomorrow and couldn’t be more excited about it. “How do you know how these work?” The redhead questioned as she pulled one of the sets out of the box. 

“I’ve been wearing them for 10 years, that’s how,” Gus chuckled. She walked her through how to use them and whatnot, then getting them ready for her. Nicole squinted down at the lense balancing on her finger. “Alright. Stick it in there.” 

“I’ve never heard  _ that  _ before,” she mumbled as she pulled the whole side of her face down, it seemed, before shoving her finger into her eye maybe a little  _ too  _ forcefully.

Gus grimaced at the comment, waiting until she was clear of not poking her eye out before smacking her arm. She chuckled, blinking her eye a million times. “Did it work?” 

“I dunno.” 

She huffed, covering the eye that she hadn’t put it in. “Well can you see?” 

“Oh . . . Yea.” 

“ _ Lord _ .” She helped her get the other one ready, then going through the same process until they were both in. 

Nicole was still trying to get used to the invader of her eyes by blinking twice as much as she usually did, but she  _ could  _ see, so she decided she would tolerate them. She decided to wear them for the rest of the night to get the feel for them before the next day. 

And what better way than to trick Wynonna. 

She walked upstairs and found her in her room. She made sure to look down at her feet every couple of steps and to hold her arms out from her sides a little like she usually did when she wasn’t wearing her glasses as she walked in. “Hey, Earp.” 

“Sup, Haught Potato.” She looked up at her from laying on her bed, furrowing her brows at her. “Why’re you blind?” 

“I’m bored,” she shrugged, grabbing her desk chair and sitting down in it. “What’re you doing?” 

“Homework- But wait, you’re  _ bored _ so you’re  _ blind _ ?” 

She spun around in the chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Ya.” 

“That might be the  _ dumbest  _ thing I’ve heard today.” 

She stopped spinning, pursing her lips at her. “Considering you have to listen to  _ your  _ thoughts all day, I’m offended.”

The brunette scoffed, “Fuck you!” 

She chuckled, squinting around her room, trying to pretend she  _ wasn’t _ watching her quietly ball up a sheet of paper that had been sitting next to her. Wynonna waited until she turned her head more to pull back and launch it at her face. 

But her mouth dropped open when Nicole reached up and caught it with ease.

She had thrown things at her a million times when she didn’t have her glasses on and not  _ once _ had she ever caught anything. “What the hell?” She breathed out. 

“Nice try.” She chucked it back at her, nailing her in the forehead. “ _ Bullseye _ .”

Nicole  _ also _ had not a _hint_ of aim when she wasn’t able to see, and she knew that good and well. But even if it  _ was  _ just a lucky shot, there is no way she would have been able to tell if she _had_ hit her or not from all the way across the room.

Yet she had.

“HOW CAN YOU SEE?” Wynonna shouted, shooting off her bed and marching over to her, taking her face in her hands. 

“Have you ever heard of  _ contacts _ ?” She laughed, standing up from the chair. 

“Oh my  _ God _ .” Wynonna shoved her back. “I thought you were pulling some voodoo on me or something.” 

Nicole snorted, walking over and dropping onto her bed. Wynonna laid down next to her, moving her out of the way until she had room. “You wanna do this geometry for me?” 

“You’re in  _ geometry _ ?!” Nicole gawked as she yanked the paper from her hands. 

“Sure am,” Wynonna grinned. “I passed algebra 1 last year.  _ Finally _ .” 

“You realize this is a sophomore class right?” 

“Hey. Just be glad I’m passing with my 61% in it right now,” she huffed as Nicole grabbed her pencil and began to fill out the proof she was working on. 

“And  _ how  _ are you doing that?” She asked with a raised brow, ditching the proof and going up a few problems and erasing the  _ Jesus is always the answer _ that she wrote in the blank for one of the problems. 

“That’s confidential information,” she sighed, crossing her arms behind her head. 

“Mmm.” 

They both looked up at the tap on the door, seeing the younger Earp standing there. “Mind if I crash your party?” She mumbled. 

Wynonna’s brows furrowed. “Not at all, Babygirl. Come on in.” She walked over and  _ expected  _ Wynonna to scoot over, but she let out a little tut, “Haughty’s teachin’ me math. Crawl over.” 

Nicole looked up at her with a smile. “I don’t bite. C’mon.” She let out a sigh as she crawled over her sister and the redhead, laying on her side next to her. The junior turned her head towards her with a little smirk, “Well, not unless you  _ want  _ me to.” 

She smacked her arm as her face stormed with a wicked blush. “Shut up.” Nicole let out a little chuckle, looking back at the paper in her hands. “Hey, uhm . . . I’m sorry about what Champ said. Really, I am.” 

The redhead looked up at her, chewing her cheek a bit but shaking her head. “Don’t be. I’m used to it by now.”

“What’d he say?” Wynonna asked, lifting her head to look at both of them. 

“He called me a fag.” 

“He  _ WHAT _ ?!” 

“Wy, it’s fine. Chill. He’s just . . .  _ Champ _ .” 

Waverly let out a hum, giving her sister a look so she knew not to push it anymore. And once she settled back into the mattress, she knew she wasn’t going to kill anyone. “. . .  _ Geometry  _ homework?” She took it from Nicole’s grip and looked it over, running her thumb over her now-free hand when she pulled it close to her on the bed. Nicole noticed it. But she didn’t do anything about it. “Don’t you usually give BJs to sophomores for this shit, Nonna?” 

“ _ Earp _ !” The junior chastised. 

“Ok, just  _ expose  _ me like that, Babygirl. Damn.” 

**9:55 PM**

Gus leaned against the door frame, letting out a sigh in time with Wynonna’s soft snore. She had noticed that it was unusually quiet for this time on a Wednesday night, so she went up to see what was going on. 

And she was feeling a lot of emotions from the view in front of her. 

All four of the youngins in the house were now in Wynonna’s bed. Wynonna, Nicole, Waverly,  _ and  _ Nash. He had joined not too long after they had abandoned her math homework. 

And now? They were all asleep.

Her heart was  _ warmed _ seeing Wynonna spooning Nash as he spooned his lion to his chest. But she was also  _ relieved  _ that they were  _ all  _ asleep already, for it meant her and Curtis could get to bed a little early as well. She was  _ happy  _ because the night hadn’t consisted of any bickering or extra loud noise because she assumed they all had just laid around and talked with one another until they passed out. 

But most of all? She was  _ confused _ . 

She was confused as to  _ why _ Waverly was curled up on Nicole’s chest under the blanket that was over all of them. It wasn’t an  _ angry  _ confused. More of an almost  _ happy  _ confused. She had been watching the two’s relationship develop over the past few weeks, noticing that there was  _ something  _ hidden beneath it. 

_ Something  _ that she was  _ very  _ closely monitoring. Not for the fact that she was upset or concerned about it, but more because she knew that if  _ anything  _ was happening between  _ them, _ it meant that  _ nothing  _ was happening between her niece and  _ Champ _ . And, frankly, she  _ wanted  _ something to happen between the two. Not just to get the boy-man out of her damn life, but because she knew that there wasn’t  _ anyone  _ better for her Waverly than Nicole. 

The girls’ position looked purposeful. There was no way there was any sleep shifting involved, for the brunette’s whole body was directly on top of her. And Gus was right. They had done it on purpose. Waverly had been upset about the whole Champ tattoo thing, and Nicole had been trying to make it better by being annoying and hugging her  _ way  _ too tight. But one thing led to another and she had rolled to her back, the brunette made a comment that she was comfy, and now here they were. 

Gus let out a little sigh, pushing off the wall and pulling the door closed. All she could hope was that Waverly got her senses straight because she was sick and tired of Champ and his bullshit. The girl deserved someone that would make her happy. And she knew Nicole was just that.

**January 26th, 2019 6:00 AM**

A four-way groan passed over the room as Wynonna’s alarm on her phone went off, waking them all up for the day. Waverly let out a whine, pulling the blanket over half her face and closing her eyes. 

But they opened when she realized her bed was moving under her. She looked up and watched Nicole's face as she stretched her legs out, her hand that had  _ apparently  _ already slipped up the back of her shirt sometime throughout the night squeezing into her side. But her eyes shot open just as the brunette's did when she realized that someone was laying on her. 

"Y'all two sleep good?" Wynonna asked, voice still hoarse as she cocked an eyebrow at them. 

"You fit four people on a full-size bed," Waverly mumbled as she rolled off her towards the wall and Nicole pulled her hand out from her shirt. 

"Mhm." She looked down at the little redhead. "Eggos?" He shot off the bed with a giggle and the older brunette was on his tail. Waverly watched the door, waiting until she was sure Wynonna was gone before rolling back into the redhead. 

"Wave . . ." 

"Shh, five more minutes," she mumbled. "You're comfy." 

"Just laying on top of me is comfy?" Nicole asked with a sigh, letting her head fall back against her pillow and rubbing her eyes. 

"What, you're telling me this isn't comfortable to you?" 

"I mean . . ." She let out another sigh as she subconsciously dropped her arm across her back and rubbed patterns into her side with her thumb. "Yea." 

"Then shush. We all need a good cuddle every now and then." 

Nicole had let her eyes close, but they shot right open with that. "Wait, this is  _ cuddling _ ?" She moved her hands back to her own sides.

Waverly's brow furrowed as her eyes opened. "What, you've never cuddled before?" She asked with a little smile, but it faded when she wasn't shot the glare she expected, for Nicole's eyes widened slightly as her mouth came open. 

She quickly righted it, letting out a scoff, "Yea, of course I have." 

The brunette looked up at her sadly. ". . . You've never cuddled before, Nic." 

"Mk, I've gotta shower," the junior mumbled, rolling her off and going to stand. 

"Hey, wait." She grabbed her arm and the redhead looked towards her with a hard jaw. "You've been in a serious relationship, haven't you?" 

She slowly nodded. ". . . Once." 

"For how long?" 

She got up and pushed her hand through her tangled hair. "Two years, Waverly." 

"Two  _ years _ ?!-"

"And she had this motto, alright?  _ One person in bed sleeps, but two people in bed sleep together _ ." 

Waverly couldn't help but notice the pain on her face and in her voice as she said it. ". . . What happened if you didn't wanna?" 

Her eyes widened slightly when Nicole let out a laugh as she moved towards the door. "You really think I had a choice?" 

**1:46 PM**

Waverly flipped the page of her book. She had just finished her English test and was waiting for the last couple of people to get done. Depending on the book, she usually averaged a good page-page and a half per minute. But she was barely reading a  _ paragraph  _ a minute today. 

Her mind had been swirling since the morning. Not  _ only  _ because she had cuddled with Nicole all night and she was sure she had  _ never  _ slept that good before, but also the comment she had made when she questioned her. 

_ You really think I had a choice? _

There was no  _ way  _ that she was being serious. Right? Who in the  _ hell  _ would be intimidating enough to make her abide by anything they said.  _ Nicole _ was the intimidating one.  _ Nicole  _ was the one you didn’t mess with. So if she  _ was  _ being serious, she was sure she did  _ not  _ want to meet this girl. 

The door opened behind her and she turned her head, rolling her eyes as Wynonna walked into the room with a stack of copies. She walked them over and handed them to their teacher. The brunette watched her as she talked with her for a minute before turning to leave. 

But she caught Waverly’s eye. 

Wynonna let out a gasp as a huge smile pushed on her face and Waverly shot her a look from her desk. But it was too late. She was already walking over to her and wrapping her in a hug. “Babygirl!” She scream-whispered. 

“Why are you even in here?” The younger one grumbled, shoving her off. 

“It’s my study hall and I had some stuff I didn’t get to first hour when I was aiding in here.”

Waverly did a long nod, looking around her at her teacher. “Leave, but stay in the hall. I need to talk to you.” 

Wynonna nodded but furrowed her brows. “Everything alright?” 

“Yea, it’s nothing really. Go.” 

She gave her a nod, turning out the door. Waverly waited a minute before getting up and walking over to her teacher’s desk. “Can I go to the bathroom?” 

She looked up at her from her computer, handing her a hall pass. “Quickly.” 

Waverly nodded, heading out of the room and walking towards her sister, who was leaning against the lockers a few steps away from the door. “Is it Champ?- Did he do something?- Oh my God, did he get a dick tattoo?!” 

“What?!  _ No _ , he doesn’t have a  _ dick  _ tattoo, Wynonna.  _ God _ .” 

Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

“ _Because_. I  _ think  _ I would know if my boyfriend had a  _ dick tattoo _ ,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes at her. 

“Wait, how-” 

“ _ No _ . Now will you listen to me?” Wynonna let out a sigh, allowing her to speak. “Who . . . Who’s Nicole’s ex?” 

Her sister’s mouth came open slightly. “Y- How do you she has an ex?” 

Waverly stared at her for a second. It seemed that she had been completely shut off by the question, and was now letting a hint of anger show on her face. “She mentioned her,” she answered with a little shrug. 

“Why? What’d she say?” Wynonna’s eyes were focused on nothing but her face as she waited for an answer. 

“I dunno . . . Just that they dated. And were together for a while.” 

Her jaw clenched and she let out a breath. “. . . I’m not at liberty to discuss  _ her  _ without Nic’s permission, Babygirl. You’re gonna have to ask her about it.” She pushed off the locker, walking past her. “But I doubt you’ll get much, if any at all.” 

“Wait.” She grabbed her arm and turned her back towards her. “I just-” she let out a sigh. “Did she . . . force her into things?” 

The older girl’s eyes widened, and she tipped her head. “Waverly,  _ what  _ did she tell you?” 

Her brows furrowed tightly. This was  _ far  _ from the response she expected from her. “. . .  _ One person in bed sleeps, but two people in bed sleep together _ .” 

Wynonna blew a raspberry, looking away from her face. “ _ Jeez _ .” She met her eyes. “I need you to drop this.  _ All  _ of this. Got it?” 

“Nonna . . .-”

“No. Waverly, I’m serious. Forget about it.” She turned for good, heading back down to her study hall. “Trust me, you’d rather.” 

**3:54 PM**

Nicole propped her feet up on the bleacher in front of her, leaning back and observing the game going on. Tonight was the first night of the conference tournament, and Purgatory was hosting. There was this game before them, their game, and then a game after them. She looked down at her phone, skipping the song that was playing before pushing it back into her pocket and reaching up, popping the second button of her blue denim button-up open. She was slightly annoyed that their coach was making them dress nice before the game, but his excuse was that since he had to wear a suit to look professional, they had to dress up too. She hadn’t gone  _ all out _ , unlike a few of the prissy girls on the team that didn’t even play, because one, she didn’t want to, and two, she knew she would be wearing these clothes from when she left in the morning to when she changed for the game. She was just wearing the button-up, some black jeans, and her tan Timbs. 

She turned her head at the sound of boots clomping up the metal stairs towards her, nudging her glasses up her nose with a grin as Wynonna plopped down beside her. It was almost impossible to make Wynonna Earp get fancy, so she was in her usual skin-tight black jeans and leather jacket. Though, instead of a band t-shirt or one with a stupid saying on it, she had opted for a plain white loose crop top. 

“Well,  _ look _ who decided to show up,” Nicole smirked. 

She leaned back and propped her feet up just as she was. “Sorry, I was busy with my _ pre warm-up _ warm-up with Doc.” 

Her face scrunched. “Are you gonna be sore for the game then?” 

She shook her head. “No. I mean,  _ usually  _ I would be, but-”

“I don’t wanna know,” the redhead mumbled, regretting even asking in the first place. 

Wynonna smirked, turning and laying down so her head was on her lap, looking at the game in front of them for a few minutes. She chewed at her nail, letting out a sigh as she flipped to her back, looking up at her. 

“Hi?” Nicole said, almost in question of why she was now staring at her. 

“You know I love you, right?” 

“Well, I’d hope so,” she said with a little chuckle. “Why?” 

She shrugged a little, “I just wanted to make sure you knew.” 

Nicole nodded with a smile. “Well, I love you, too, Wy.” She could tell by the look on the brunette’s face that she was wanting to say something. “What?” 

Wynonna let out a sigh, sitting back up and pulling her leg up on the bench, turning her body towards her. “ _ Because  _ I love  _ and  _ care about you . . . It kinda worries me a little bit when you bring up Shae.” 

Nicole’s face fell as she looked into her eyes, but she brought the dip in her brow back up to remain neutral. “Waves?” She slowly nodded. “What’d she say?” 

“Just that you mentioned her. And she was a little concerned, I’d say.” 

The junior shook her head, leaning her elbows on her knees when she leaned forward. “Well, I just mentioned her, Earp. Nothing to worry about.” 

“ _ I’m _ just trying to figure out what would make you bring  _ her  _ bitch ass up?” It was clear that the senior wasn’t done talking about it. 

Nicole looked towards her. “You want me to be real with you?” 

“I mean, I always do, so yea.” 

“She came up because of how we slept last night. Waverly said something about cuddling or whatever and figured out that I’ve never been with someone and done that really. She questioned it and I told her.  _ Like I said _ , not a big deal, Wy. She’s in my history. It’s gonna come up every now and then.”

Wynonna slid her tongue across the inside of her lip, raising her brows at her. “That doesn’t tell me who you were on the phone with the other day.” 

She tipped her head. “What’re you talking about?” 

“You know  _ exactly  _ what I’m talking about. I overheard you on the phone the other day and you said her name. And I swear to God, if you were talking  _ to  _ her, I’m gonna bea-” 

“It was _El_ _ iza _ , Wynonna.  _ Jesus _ .” Judging by the look on the brunette’s face, she knew she needed her to elaborate on that. “She . . . slipped up again and I was checking on her.” 

“Shapiro did?” Wynonna asked, brow furrowing sadly. Nicole nodded. “Is she ok?” 

“She’s ok now. But she wants me to go up there to see her and I told her I won’t. Cause I’m not.”

“Yea, it’s safer for her to come here,” the brunette agreed quietly.

Nicole threw her hand out. “That’s what I said, but Liza  _ and  _ Fish both tried to convince me to go back.” 

“Fish did too?” 

“Uh-huh.”

She shook her head. “Him of all people should understand. I don’t know why he would do that.”

Nicole let out a sigh, “Me neither, Man.” 

Wynonna waited a minute before speaking again. She still hadn’t answered her question. “. . . So  _ why  _ were you so interested in Shae?” 

The redhead shot her a glare. “I’m  _ not _ , Wynonna. She’s just . . . She’s dating Deck.” 

“ _ Deck _ ? As in Decker Del Rey?” 

“Yup,” Nicole muttered.

“Isn’t he, like, in his  _ mid-twenties _ ?” 

“Something like that. Look, I couldn't care less if she wants to get drilled by a 6'6, 250-pound _murderer_ or not. It's just a lot to process, ya know?" 

"Yea. I get it. I just wanted to make sure you weren't thinking about . . ." 

"Going back to her?" Nicole questioned with wide eyes. Wynonna gave her a little nod. "Fuck no! Do you know how long it took me to grow the balls to get away from her?! Why the hell would I go back?!" 

Wynonna gave her arm a squeeze. "Hey, I know, Haught," she said with a little laugh. "I was just making sure that you weren't  _ completely _ losing your mind." 

"Oh, trust me. I am." She looked towards her with a grin. "But I'd have to be on a whole new kind of meth to even  _ think _ about doing that."

**4:41 PM**

Nicole twisted the cap on her contact lens case and tossed it into her locker before closing it. She turned around and walked over to Wynonna, who was sitting on a bench, tying her shoe. “You ready for this?” She asked, looking up at her with a grin. 

“Hell yea, I am. I haven’t played a  _ real  _ game since my freshman year,” Nicole answered with a scoff. 

Wynonna stood up with a smirk, punching her shoulder. “Let’s get it.” 

As if on cue, the locker room door cracked open. “Are we decent?” Their coach’s voice asked. He walked in after he heard a consensus yes roll over. They all walked over, forming a circle around him. “Alright. I know we only have a few minutes before we head out there, but I just say something first . . . This game? This is the most important game we have played so far. If we lose tonight, we’re done.  _ Done _ . For some of you, this could be your last game  _ ever _ . And for some of you, this  _ would  _ be your last game if it wasn’t for Nicole.” Her face colored with a smile as she got a couple of smacks and punches from the ones around her. “Either way, tonight is important. And I  _ know _ we have this. You girls are at the best you’ve been all season, and I want us to show it tonight. Can we do that?” He got a loud agreement, and a grin pushed onto his face. He smacked his hand against his clipboard. “Beautiful. Line up. I’ll let them know we’re ready.” 

Nicole looked up at the scoreboard after the buzz, seeing that it was the one-minute warning for their warm-up time. She dribbled back to the three-point line where the brunette was and knocked her with her hip to mess up her shot, snorting with the offended look she got. “That would have been  _ so _ in, Haught.” 

“Just like the last one was too?” She asked as she stepped back and drained one easily, knowing how Wynonna had hoped no one saw her airball.

“Shut up,” she grumbled as they walked over to fetch their balls, turning their heads when Rivera called them all over for one last chance to go over some things. 

The buzzer sounded for the last time and the starters sat down after wiggling out some last nerves, listening as the announcer said some words before calling the names of the Ravens’ players off. Nicole traced her eyes over number 32, the 5’10 chick that she was guarding. She smirked slightly as she took note of how twiggy she was. 

“And now for your very own Purgatory Blue Devils!” A cheer passed over the crowd along with the cheerleaders. “Standing at 5’8, your point guard, Wynonna Earp!” She jumped out of her seat and smacked the hands of the rest of the team as she jogged around and made her way out onto the floor. “At 5’6, shooting guard, Paige Wagner!” She did the same, though took the time to not rush her fist bumps with the refs. “At 6 foot, your center, Nicole Haught!” She shot up, taking into note the loud scream from her brother across the gym as she jogged out to the floor, taking her spot next to Paige. The announcer’s voice trailed off as she looked in the direction it came from, tracing her eyes around for a second before her eyes caught red, landing on her brother’s face as he sat happily on Curtis’ shoulders as he stood against the wall next to Gus on the bleachers. She gave him a little wave, shaking her head at him with a laugh when he waved back so hard, he almost flipped off of the man’s shoulders.

When it was  _ finally  _ time to start, Nicole made her way out to the middle of the floor, cocking a brow at the scared face on Twiggy, for she happened to  _ also  _ be doing the jump ball.  _ Good God _ , there was seriously  _ no  _ meat on that girl’s bones. The redhead was sure that she had  _ at least  _ 30 pounds on her in muscle alone. Then again, she was sure it was the  _ tattoos  _ that was the reason for the look on her face though. And she really  _ hated  _ the stereotype.

She entered the circle and gave her a little smile, hooking her finger on the collar of her jersey and pulling it down a little. “This is literally from a  _ book _ . How scary can I be?” The girl smiled a little and she stuck her fist out. “Good luck.” 

She bumped it, flicking her eyes up to meet her’s. “You, too.” 

The ref walked over with the ball and looked between them. “Let’s have a clean game tonight, Ladies. Are you ready?” They both nodded, and Nicole tugged the legs of her shorts up, bouncing her knees as she watched his hand and stuck her arm up. With the sharp blow of his whistle, he pushed it into the air and she sprung up, tipping the ball back, right into Wynonna’s arms. A smirk took over her face as she ran down the court. 

She had always been one to trust her gut. 

And her gut told her that this was going to be a really good game.

**6:03 PM**

Waverly was surprised with how the game was going. The Blue Devils were in the lead with 48-40, and there were meer seconds left of the last half. They both were actually putting up a defense, but the Ravens seemed to prefer to just chuck the ball towards the hoop and hope for the best. 

Hence the shot that their shooting guard just took from the three-point line.

It bounced straight up off the top of the backboard, and Waverly watched as Wynonna leaped from the damn near other side of the floor and snatched it out of the air. 

" _ Earp _ !" 

Both of their eyes shot to Nicole, who was backpedaling towards mid-court. She watched the smirk push onto her sister's face as she chucked the ball towards her. 

Nicole caught it and sprinted down the rest of the court ahead of all the other players with less than 2 seconds. Waverly felt her jaw fall open when the redhead pushed off the floor and slammed the ball into the net as the buzzer blared through the air. 

The room erupted into cheers and she hung on the rim for a second before dropping down as the other four on the court sprinted towards her. They shoved her around as the rest came over, doing the same as they made their way towards the over to hand out fist bumps with the other team. 

Nicole looked down the gym as they walked towards the locker room, grinning as she pointed at her brother before turning back forwards. She caught Waverly's stare out of the corner of her eye. She shot her a wink, and the brunette rolled her eyes, shaking her head at her as she crossed her arms. There was a hint of a smile on her face and Nicole gave her some dimples right before entering the locker room, watching as she turned her head as her own smile pushed into her face. 

Wynonna shoved her uniform into her bag, throwing it over her shoulder and looking towards Nicole. “You ready, Haught Hands?” 

“Yep.” She pushed her glasses back on and grabbed her bag off the floor, shutting her locker and following her as they made their way out, bidding one last goodbye to their coach. Nicole looked forward just in time to see her brother sprinting right for her, catching him in her arms when he jumped at her. 

“Coley, that was  _ AWESOME _ !” He squealed with a grin.

“Was it?” She asked with a little laugh. 

“I have to agree, Kid,” Curtis said with a smile after him and Gus caught up to them. “That was pretty awesome.” 

“Thanks,” she mumbled with a blush and a bashful chuckle. Waverly walked up after changing and saying goodbye to all of her friends.

“Alright, Gang. Y’all up for some dinner to celebrate?” Gus asked with a smile, getting a loud agreement, ranging from  _ yes _ to  _ I’m starving _ . They made their way out the door, heading for their cars. “What’re we feeling?” 

“Burger King!” Nash shouted. 

“ _ No _ ,” Wynonna groaned. 

“A  _ real  _ restaurant,” the older redhead chuckled.

“That is a  _ real _ restaurant,” he scoffed. 

“I vote B-Dubs,” Wynonna said as she tossed her bag in the back of Nicole’s car when she pulled the door open. 

“You vote  _ what _ ?” Gus questioned. 

“Buffalo Wild Wings,” Waverly corrected with a laugh. 

“Well that’s mighty fine with me,” Curtis grinned.

“You want wings, Buggy?” Nicole questioned, nudging the side of her brother’s head. He gave her a nod, and she looked up at them with a smile. “Good with us.” 

Gus nodded as she, Curtis, and Waverly climbed into their truck as the other three got into Nicole’s car. “ _ B-Dubs _ , it is.” 

**January 27th, 2019 3:18 PM**

Nicole ran her tongue around her mouth, for she  _ swore  _ she could still feel the burn from the wings that her and Wynonna took on the night before. They were the  _ spiciest  _ ones they had. They all had an  _ amazing  _ time. Nicole and Nash both had never been to a  _ real _ restaurant with  _ menus _ and  _ waiters _ before really, so it was cool for them. They ended up staying for almost 2 hours, slamming wings left and right as they watched a  _ close  _ Raptors vs Mavericks game on the trillion TVs around. Nicole and Wynonna bowed down to the Raptors, so they were glad they ended up pulling through at the end by three. 

So focused on the way her taste buds were scarred, she hadn’t realized that five minutes had passed and her brother was  _ still _ not in the car. She looked out the passenger's window and saw him slowly making his way across the parking lot. 

“C'mon kid, the car's a'runnin’!” Nicole called out to her brother after she rolled down the window. Her prompts, however, did not get the kid to hurry up, nor did it get him to lift his head from its down position. Nash seemed to be seen fixated on staring into the ground all the way up to the passenger car door. “Bug? Heeelllo, Earth to Buggy?” His sister was smiling widely and trying her best to cheer him up. She was so focused on doing so that she almost didn’t notice he wasn’t wearing his new glasses. 

_ Almost _ . 

“Nash, where are your glasses, Silly?” The lilt in her voice all but vanished when the mini redhead still remained silent. “Nash? Hey, Na-” Nicole grabbed his shoulder to make him face her. Her smile was gone, along with all other thoughts. She wasn’t concerned about anything else. Not anymore.

The younger redhead was exposed. He couldn’t hide anymore. Meeting the older Haught’s concerned eyes with his own, though his vision was not only blurred with tears but  _ also _ obstructed. His left eye was  _ barely  _ open, for the swelling and bruising kept it near shut. Angry red marks circled his eye as they faded to a deep purple. Black demons laughed within them as they enjoyed themselves in the puddles of tears the boy cried out of shame and pain. And if that wasn’t enough, the bottom portion of his face was also bloody, for a fresh gash split his swollen bottom lip. 

Nicole snapped her eyes down to his hand, seeing his new glasses broke in half with both of the lenses cracked, fisted in one. She turned his head more towards her with her hand lightly on his cheek as she leaned towards his face, anger, worry, and sadness taking up every wrinkle on her own. Her breath was coming in unsteadily as she tried to keep herself calm. 

But it was no use. 

Someone had beat up her baby brother.

And she was going to find out who it was if it was the last thing she  _ ever  _ did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay yes. In this story we made Shae Bi because it was never specified in canon if she was strictly into women. And we also made her abusive, yes. It’s important for the story and we figured it would be better if we didn’t introduce a OC and just use the canon ex. 
> 
> AND YES we know Kat is not 6 foot but our teen Baddie!Nicole is because fucking Daddy 🤤 so deal man


	14. Greaser Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That's right  
> Part 1  
> Let's finally see what happened to Buggie Boy, huh?  
> (Yes, it is April Fool's Day, no this is not a prank)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef here:  
> Uh.  
> Hey guys. It's been a month now, haha. Everything has been insane, to put it nicely, for both Solace and I as of late.  
> YEA QUEEF, YOU GUYS SAY THAT EVERY UPLOAD  
> Ok yea I realize that but this time therE'S CORONA (No we don't have it (knock on wood) But Solace is considered an "Essential worker" and we both are doing online schooling atm which is A LOT)  
> Because of that (and the things that were present BEFORE this bomb got dropped on the world), we have had little to no time to try and make this chapter live up to it's expectations. Yes. THIS CHAPTER. This chapter is important, and THAT is why we have been unable to get something to upload. We've finally agreed together that the first part (barely 3K words) is going to have to do for now. Yes, some things are resolved, but you will come to find out that CERTAINLY not everything is.  
> This chapter wasn't supposed to be a two-parter, but until Solace gets around to finishing up a certain scene, THIS will be all you have. (Mhm, SOLACE is writing this scene. May I add that all of your FAVORITE (not favorite) Bug scenes come from (mostly) her (some parts are me ;) Don't just hate her) so just take that and what seems to have happened/is happening/most likely will happen in meer SECONDS by the time you get to the end into consideration to figure out what it may entail)  
> This chapter's not much, but it is something. And something is better than nothing.  
> Enjoy!  
> and we both are truly sorry about the long wait  
> (And thank you for all the kind messages last chapter. They really helped)  
> (I've used way too many parentheses in this, I'm sorry)  
> (One more. We love y'all :D)

**January 27th, 2019 3:24 PM**

“Who the  _ fuck  _ did this?” Nicole asked with a shake in her voice, gripping his chin to make him look her dead in the eye.

He pulled his head away, shaking it with a sniffle. “I’m fine, Cole.”

She made him look at her again. “No.  _ Who _ did this, Nash?”

“No one,” he said a little more forcefully. “I fell.” 

“No one?!” She let out a hushed curse, her hand fumbling around to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Ok, I’ll go get the school to go find me some security camera footage, how’s  _ that  _ sound?!” 

“No, no, Coley, don’t!” He begged, pulling on her arm as new tears fell down his face.

She looked back towards him, her face getting redder with anger by the second. She wasn’t mad at him. She just needed to know what was going on. “Then  _ tell  _ me!” He wiped at his eyes, curling his legs up onto the seat. “ _ Nash _ .” 

“S-Sport,” he bawled, although he was trying to choke back the tears. 

Nicole shook her head around. “What the-  _ Sport _ ?!  _ Nash Ryan Haught _ , I  _ swear  _ to God, what is his  _ name _ ?!” 

The little one looked up at her with pleading eyes. “It’s Sport!” 

“Sport  _ what _ ?!” 

He sniffled, “Sport Hardy.” Nicole’s eyes widened only for a second before they hardened. Hardened in a way that Nash hadn’t seen in a  _ long  _ time. He stared up at her in fear as he watched the name settle through her bones. “. . . Cole?” 

She let out a heavy breath, turning back forward as she rebuckled. “Buckle up.” 

He continued to stare up at her with wide eyes. Her voice was low.  _ Scary _ low in a  _ tone  _ that he _also_ hadn’t heard in a long time. He quickly did so, and once she saw that he did, she jerked the car out of park and stomped her foot on the accelerator. 

Nash kept himself curled up on the seat the whole ride, which felt more like they were in a racecar the way Nicole was driving. He had learned to just leave her be when she was mad like this, so that’s what he did. 

10 minutes faster than normal, they were at the Homestead, luckily having dodged all the cops that could have been out and about. Nicole threw the car in park just as fast as she had taken it out before. She practically jumped out of the car and started for the front door. Nash slowly got out and followed. 

The older redhead smacked the front door open. “ _ EARP _ !” She heard quick footsteps coming down the stairs as Gus walked out from the kitchen with the same concerned look on her face that Wynonna had. 

“Woah, Haught,” Wynonna mumbled as the girl stalked over to her, eyes lit with anger, the fire in them coloring her face. 

“I need a gun  _ now _ ,” she said through her teeth. The brunette’s eyes shot open. 

“ _ Woah _ there, Cowgirl,” Gus said, walking over and putting her hands on her shoulders with a shake of her head. All of their eyes looked towards the door at the sniffle that was heard from the front door frame. She quickly let go of her and rushed over to the boy, eyes popping out when she tipped his head up. She snapped her head back to Wynonna with her own set of fire in her eyes. “We need a  _ damn  _ gun.” 

“ _ Why _ do we need a gun?!” 

All heads turned to Waverly as she came down the stairs, for she had heard the yelling from her room. Her eyes flicked from face to face, stalling when she landed on Nicole and realized that she was coming towards her. “Nic . . .” She put her hands out and went to grab her, but she got to it first. 

The junior gripped her hands into the front of her sweatshirt and forced her backward roughly, shoving her up against the wall by the stairs as she bared her teeth, “ _ Your _ boyfriend’s  _ shit _ of a little brother  _ beat the fuck _ outta _ Nash _ !-” 

Wynonna grabbed onto the redhead and ripped her off of her, shoving her away. “ _ Hey _ !” She was quickly in her face. “Don’t you  _ ever  _ put your hands on her, do you understand me?! I don't care _what_ the problem is! This isn’t her fucking fault and you  _ know  _ it!” 

“ _ OK! _ ” Waverly put herself in between them. “Both of you need to  _ calm down _ !” She looked towards her sister, pushing her back. “She’s  _ upset _ , Wynonna. Chill _out_.” 

“That doesn’t give her a right to-” 

“ _ Wynonna _ ,” she warned, and the older brunette let out a sigh, taking a step back. Waverly let out a little huff, “ _ Thank _ you.” She turned back to the redhead, putting her hand on the small of her back and wrapping her fingers around her forearm, leading her to take a seat on the steps. She sat down a couple down from her to give her space, letting her hand rest on her knee. “ _ Breathe _ .” She tipped her chin up so she looked at her. “Everything’s ok.” 

“No, everything’s  _ not  _ ok, Waver-” 

“ _ Nicole _ .” She raised her brows at her, getting her to shut her mouth. “There’s _nothing_ you can do to change what happened, so for the time being,  _ yes _ , everything  _ is _ ok.”

The girl had a point. 

Nicole let out a slow breath, leaning her elbows on her knees as she rubbed her face for a few seconds before dropping them and looking her in the eye. “. . . I’m sorry.” 

She shook her head. “It’s fine . . . He said Sport did it?” She asked gently. 

The redhead swallowed, looking up at her brother across the room. It seemed that Curtis had heard the yelling from outside and came in, for he was now holding him tightly in his arms as Gus and Wynonna tried to talk to him. She looked back to the brunette in front of her, nodding with a hard jaw, “Yea.”

“Did he say why?” 

“I think we’re about to find out,” she mumbled, seeing that the older Earp was walking back over to them with her hands in her back jean pockets. She let out a raspberry, sitting on the step next to Waverly. “What’d he say?” Nicole asked. 

“He said he thinks it’s cause Sport overheard him talking to Mrs. Carters about how he got new glasses. He jumped him in the bathroom after school. Punched him a few times, kicked him when he dropped. And then he stomped on the glasses before dipping outta there.” 

Nicole shook her head, pulling her own off her face and rubbing her eyes until they stung. “Out of _all_ kids he has to fuck with, it  _ has  _ to be Nash.  _ Why? _ ” 

Waverly let out a sigh, looking towards the little one as Curtis set him down. “I dunno . . . I’ll talk to Champ, ok? See if he’ll give him a talking to?” 

“Oh please. You know he’ll just congratulate him,” the redhead scoffed. 

“Not if I stand there and watch him,” she corrected with a raise of her brow. 

The junior flicked her vision towards her, letting her eyes soften. “You’d do that?” 

“Of  _ course _ ,” the brunette huffed, turning her head as Nash slowly sulked over to them and opening her arms to him. He crawled up onto her lap, curling into her chest. “It’s not right. And they  _ both _ need to know that.” 

**January 28th, 2020 12:39 PM**

Waverly pulled into Champ's driveway, putting her Jeep in park and climbing out. She walked up to the front door, giving it a knock and taking a step back, pushing her hands into her jacket pockets. 

Her smiling boyfriend opened the door after several seconds. "Hey, Baby," he mumbled, rubbing his right eye. By the looks of it, she had woken him up. 

"Hey," she said with an equally large smile, walking inside behind him. She followed him to his room, flicking her shoes off and dropping onto his bed. 

"What're you doing here?" He asked, tugging her closer as she rolled onto him, resting her head on his chest. 

"I kinda need to talk to you about something," she answered, looking up at him as he slowly ran his hand up and down her back. 

He paused his movements, furrowing his brow at her. "What did I do?" 

She balled the extra fabric of his hoodie around his chest in her fist, shaking her head. "No, it's not you," she assured with a little laugh. "It's your brother . . ." 

His face twisted and she knew what was coming. "Why do you  _ always  _ call him that? He's not my brother." 

"He's your _ half-brother _ , Champ. He's still your brother just cause he's not your mom's kid." 

" _No_ , he's my dad and step-mom's  _ love child _ .  _ Not  _ my brother." 

She let out a sigh, "Ok, whatever. Your  _ not brother _ beat up Nash yesterday." 

He let out a snort, "Dykey's kid brother?"

She sat up off him, tightening her brow with a glare. "Quit  _ calling  _ her that. And it's not funny." 

He sat up, pulling his hands into his lap. "Ok, sorry," he mumbled. 

"You need to talk to him, Champ. Tell him to leave him alone. Nash's been through  _ enough  _ shit in his life and he doesn't need Sport being a little dickhead to him, too." 

"Oh, I'm sure they both have," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. 

Waverly's eyes hardened at him. "They  _ have _ , Champ. What do you even have against her? The _second_ she got here, you've been nothing but an asshole." 

"She's an  _ outsider _ , Wave. I don't understand why everyone is letting her _walk_ _around_ like she's been here forever. Not to mention she's- I mean,  _ look  _ at her, she just lets her _ fag flag _ fly fre-" 

"James!" She snapped, shutting him right up. "For the last  _ fucking  _ time, stop calling her that!" 

“OK!” He put his hands up. 

“There’s  _ nothing  _ wrong with gay people, so  _ stop  _ being an  _ ass _ !”

“I just don’t understan-”

“No,” she huffed. “It doesn’t matter if you  _ understand  _ it or not. That’s even  _ more  _ of a reason why you should be respectful. It isn’t  _ hurting  _ you, Champ.” 

He let out a sigh, “Well  _ sorry  _ if I don’t wanna watch two dudes eating face right in front of me. That’s  _ disgusting _ .” 

“ _ God _ .” She pushed off the bed and grabbed her shoes. “I’ll see you on Monday,” she grumbled as she pulled them back on. 

“No! Hey, I’m sorry!” He whined, scrambling to his feet and grabbing her waist with a furrowed brow. 

“Champ . . .-”

“Don’t go. Please?” She narrowed her eyes at him as he pouted his stupid lip. “I’ll go talk to Sport?” Waverly muttered something under her breath, flicking her shoes back off as she followed him down the hall to Sport’s room. He beat the side of his fist against the door, “Shithead! Open up!”

After the pausing of the gunshots from the video game that was blaring from his room, the door swung open to reveal the photocopy of a nine-year-old Champ, only Sport was still in first grade because he had flunked  _ twice _ . “ _ What _ , Asshole?” He huffed. The brunette’s brows raised, for she hadn’t expected that kind of language out of him. 

“Hey!” Champ barreled into the room, shoving him to the floor and pouncing on him. They rolled a few times until the older one was on the bottom, blocking the punches he was throwing at his face and chest. “You hit like a fucking girl.” He shoved him off and gave him a solid punch to the gut to wind him before standing up off the floor. 

“Are you two done?” Waverly asked in annoyance from her position leaning against the doorframe. 

“Yea, Johnny, ya done?” Champ asked, crossing his arms as he looked down at him when he slowly got to his feet. 

The younger one shoved him. “Don’t  _ call _ me that!” 

“I’ll call you whatever the  _ fuck  _ I want, you _ little bitch _ ,” Champ scowled as he lifted him up by the shirt and pants and tossed him hard enough to hit the wall before falling onto his bed. 

“ _Champ_!” Waverly scolded, shooting him a glare when he turned to look at her. “ _ Stop _ .” 

“Listen to your  _ girlfriend _ , Meathead,” Sport grumbled, rubbing the side of his head that had hit the wall as he sat up. 

“Do you  _ like  _ your teeth?” Champ questioned. 

“Yea,” he mumbled. 

“Then shut your  _ trap _ . You’re in trouble.” 

He threw his arms out as he picked his PS4 controller back up, unpausing his game. “I didn’t do shit, Dude.” 

The older one snatched the controller out of his hand and whacked the back of his shoulder with it before shutting it off. “Watch your fucking mouth or I’ll make you go show Dad your new vocab skills and see what  _ he  _ thinks about it.” Sport looked up at him wide-eyed, and the brunette wasn’t surprised that their father was the only thing that scared him. “And yes, you  _ did _ do shit, _Dude_. You beat a kid up yesterday.” 

Sport snorted, “Yea. So?” 

“What d’you mean  _ so _ ?” Champ asked. 

“Why do  _ you  _ care? You do it all the time.” 

“That doesn’t mean  _ you _ can. And I do it when I have  _ reasons _ .  _ You _ didn’t. There’s a difference.” 

He cocked a brow at him. “He’s the new kid  _ and  _ an easy target. All he does is  _ read _ , and you told me I could pick on nerds.” 

“ _ Ok _ , b-” 

“Really, Champ?” Waverly huffed. 

He threw her a look, putting his hand up before looking back down at Sport. “ _ Pick  _ on. Not beat the shit out of.” 

“Same difference,” he shrugged. 

“ _ No _ , it’s not,” Champ corrected. 

“ _ Whatever! _ ” 

“You can screw with whoever you want, but leave Nash alone. Do you understand me? I’ll have your ass if I find out you’re messing with him.” 

The younger one’s eyes slowly narrowed. “Why?” 

“Because I said so, that’s why!” 

They continued to narrow, but then he let out a little laugh as he put it together. “What? Did she make you come and yell at me?” 

“Wh-  _ No _ ,” Champ huffed. 

“ _ Yes _ ,” Waverly said over him. 

Sport chuckled, “ _ Aw _ . She’s got you taking orders, Champy? That’s cute.” 

The brunette rolled her eyes at that, but took a few quick steps forward and grabbed her boyfriend as he was mid-charge at him. “ _ C’mon _ .” 

“Bother the kid and I’m telling. You’re warned,” he practically growled out as she dragged him out of the room, seeing the flash of fear on his face before she pulled the door shut. 

“And you  _ wonder  _ why he’s like that,” she mumbled. 

“What?” He asked, for he hadn’t heard her.

“Nothing,” she sighed with a shake of her head. “You wanna go get lunch or something?” 

A smile inched onto his face and he pushed a kiss to her cheek. “I’m starving.” 

**7:03 PM**

Nicole pulled herself up on the pull-up bar that she had installed above her door frame in the barn before dropping back down and starting all over again. She  _ had  _ been just chilling in her room for a little quiet time, but there was currently a lovey-dovey couple laying in the yard within 10 yards of her door watching the sunset together. And, quite frankly, she was tired of Champ’s stupid voice before she even heard it.  _ So _ . She had plugged her ears with her earbuds on full blast and started working out to get out some of the anger that hadn’t seemed to go away yet. 

Yea, Waverly  _ and  _ Champ had told her that he had talked with Sport when they came back to the Homestead after they got lunch and she was glad of it, but she still couldn’t bear to look at her poor brother’s face without getting a surge of anger. He was ok for the most part physically, and she couldn’t be more grateful, but she knew it still had affected him mentally. She had even spent the night with him again the night before and planned to again tonight as well. Hell, she had gone out and bought a _ baby monitor _ to put in his room for when she started staying out in the barn again because she was so worried about him. 

“ _ Champ, stop _ !” 

The shriek was so loud, Nicole could hear it piercing through her earbuds. She dropped to the ground, ripping them out as she landed. She practically pulled her door off the hinges as she followed the continued cries and pleas out to the presumed ‘lovey-dovey couple’ and saw the scene she was  _ dreading  _ to see unfolding in front of her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh LAWRD  
> I have a feeling Champ should have realized Nic was in that damn barn...
> 
> This will stay as separate parts for a little while, but after the following chapter goes up after the second one, I'm pretty sure we'll combine them since this part is so short and it was supposed to be one anyways.
> 
> Stay safe everybody XOXOXOXO


	15. Greaser Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you read that right. Looking To Belong is BACK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef: Haha, I bet this piece of crack showing back up was the last thing on your 2020 bingo card. Enjoy the chap motherfuckers...I've got a feeling you will ;) ;)
> 
> Solace: ...guess who’s back  
> You can't get mad at us for the wait considering you waited two years for the real thing!   
> Enjoy gays ;)

****January 28th, 2020 7:04 PM** **

All Nicole could make out was flailing limbs underneath a beastly figure, appearing as if it was ravaging prey. Within seconds, Nicole’s long legs had brought her to stand right above the mess, and before she knew it, her arms were tearing Champ off of Waverly.  _ “She said STOP!” _ Nicole flung Champ away from her with a rough shove, and he landed on his back a few feet away from both girls. It obviously did  _ not  _ please the briefly stunned Hardy boy, earning a low, teeth-bared growl from him full of rage in return as he stood.

“This doesn’t  _ concern  _ you, you  _ dumb ginger dyke _ !” With a grunt, Champ charged at the redhead, effectively tackling her  _ hard  _ to the dirt floor. He only landed on punch within the time he was on top of her. Only.  _ One _ . Not even a  _ second  _ after all four of his meaty knuckles smashed into the redhead’s scowling face was he hog-kicked off. 

“ _ Don’t _ you call me that-“ Nicole’s own words cut off for a second and only resumed with each blow she bestowed onto Champ’s angered face after she jumped on top of him.  _ “-Ever. Fucking. Again!” _ The glaring eyes staring up into her own only showed a hint of fear before he used the same trick she used and kicked her off of him. They both pushed quickly off the ground, huffing hard as they stood slightly hunched, moving in a daunting circle and waiting for the other to make a move. 

It wasn’t clear which one did because, sooner than later, they were at each other’s throat again. 

“I can call you whatever the  _ fuck  _ I want, _ fag!”  _ Nicole delivered a body shot that Champ quickly reciprocated. “And it’s time you learn your  _ fucking  _ place around here! You’re  _ not  _ one of us, and you  _ never  _ will be!” The boy wound up for a severe cross hit but was interrupted by a set of smaller hands prying at his bicep that he tried to swat away. 

“Champ,  _ stop!  _ Get off of her!” Distraught and crying, Waverly tried her hardest to break up the scuffle she was responsible for, but it was to no avail as he continued to try and ignore her.

“I’ll tell you what, _Haught,”_ Champ growled, bloody spit flying out of his mouth as he spoke. “You should just take your freak little brother and your needle lovin’ bestie back to The City or whatever shitty _hole_ you came from!” 

Nicole’s lip twitched angrily,  _ “What _ did you just say, Bitch?”

Champ flashed his sleazy smile, proud now knowing he got under her skin. “I  _ said, _ take you, your little brother, and that fuck up Earp back out of Purgatory.  _ All  _ you’re doing is ruining lives in this town by being here!” The only response he got was a bitter shot of spit to his face from the furious redhead. It was clear they were done talking, so Champ quickly went to wind up again. 

Waverly tried once more to get him off but she was stopped dead in her tracks by a jaw-shattering blow. Champ’s bruised and bloody fist connected with the sweet girl’s squared jaw.  _ Hard _ . The impact sent the youngest Earp shooting back to the ground away from them, now too dazed to figure out what had happened. 

Nicole, on the other hand, knew  _ exactly  _ what had happened: The Hardys’ had single-handedly insulted and hurt  _ everyone  _ she cared about, and she’d be  _ damned _ if she wasn’t going to do anything about it. A darkness took over her normally warm brown eyes just as Champ grabbed a hold of her shirt, and she head-butted him with such an impact that it broke the lock hold between them. Champ stumbled back but couldn’t do anything but watch what was in store for him. 

Backing away from Nicole as if she was a wild bull in a ring, Champ tried his hardest to get out of the beating that he was sure would end his life.

Unfortunately, it was to no avail.

**_BAM_ ** **_._ **

The sound of flesh colliding with flesh violently rang out against the countryside of the Homestead. 

**_BAM._ **

Another bone-shattering blow was delivered to the bull wrestler's face. Along with the blood that came shooting from his mouth, the wind was knocked completely out of his stomach as Nicole tackled him once more into the dirt. She wasted no time before resuming to pummel the life out of the boy-man, straddling his stomach to pin him under her- Not that he could go anywhere, though.

He couldn’t do much of anything now, really.

The only thing that he could do was focus on his breathing, which became a struggle as his teeth threatened to jump from their gums and down his throat. He could only imagine his pretty-boy face was nothing short of battered to black and blue. 

Waverly was still laying partially disorientated on the ground, but she had her tear-filled eyes focused on the two in front of her. Surely Champ didn’t  _ mean  _ to hit her. She got in the way, is all. Rubbing her victim cheek, she tried and failed to get back up to break them up. Soon after realizing she was still too dizzy to get up, and frankly too scared to, she did the only thing she could do:

Scream.

_ “STOP! STOP IT YOU TWO, STOP!” _

But it seemed to her, neither her boyfriend nor the _beautif-_ _pain in the ass_ ginger could hear her pleas. 

And she was right; the only thing Nicole could hear was the ringing in her ears as her blood boiled hotter than humanly safe. Like a machine, her fists kept working Champ’s face over and over- well, ‘ _ whatever face was left’  _ she thought. Finally, though, she heard the faintest of Waverly’s cries break through the rhythm of her fury  _ just  _ before she heard an ear-splitting shot pierce the setting evening sky. 

_ “ALRIGHT! _ Knock it off, you two!” Gus hollered as she cocked her pistol again, still pointing it into the air. She had a sobbing and terrified little redhead clinging to her one thigh with the arm  _ not _ holding the gun around him, and a scared  _ shitless  _ older Earp on the other side  _ “I mean it, _ don’t you make me go n’ aim for one of ya next!” 

_ That  _ seemed to do the trick. 

Nicole quickly pushed off of Champ, scrambling to her feet as he did the same, each of them moving  _ far  _ away from one another. The redhead went right for Waverly, stumbling only a little on her jellified legs as she helped her to her feet, cupping her jaw and tipping her head up to make sure she wasn’t too badly injured by Champ’s hit. 

The older woman lowered the pistol but kept it in her hand pointing at the floor, for she was ready to use it again if needed. “That’s more like it . . .” She shot daggers at the two. “Now does someone want to  _ explain  _ to me just what In the  _ fresh hell _ is goin’ on here?” Her eyes widened as Nicole, Champ, and Waverly frantically tried to speak at once. “Stop that! You’re all actin’ like you’re younger than Nash, here.” She nodded to the tallest girl first. “Nicole. Tell me your side first.” She knew the redhead would cut to the chase and not give her the whole spiel; That could be saved for later. 

“Champ hit Waverly,” Nicole answered through labored, adrenaline-filled breaths. She could swear she saw the older woman’s finger shoot right back to the trigger, but couldn’t be sure since her eyes were on Wynonna, who was staring back at her as if she saw a ghost. 

“You did  _ WHAT, _ Hardy!?” Gus snapped, her eyes locked on the boy with a rage. 

Waverly glared at the taller girl. “Gus, that’s  _ not  _ what happened!” She  _ immediately  _ got a sideways glare from Nicole.

Unfortunately for the brunette, Gus wasn’t buying it. “Oh really? Did you just decide to run your cheek into his fist then, Darlin’?”

“Wh- No. It’s not what happened. Nicole isn’t telling you th-“

_Now_ Nicole was pissed. She had just _helped_ Waverly. She had _saved_ her. So what the _actual_ _fuck_ was going on? Waverly met the anger in Nicole’s eyes, widening her own in fear with a small shake of her head as her voice cut. Nicole looked back to Gus with a locked jaw before looking back to her. “Sorry, my bad. Did you want me to tell them that he was forcing himself on you instead? That he was on top of you, holding you down, and you were trying to get him off? Is _that_ what you wanted me to tell them?” 

“Babygirl . . .” Wynonna mumbled under her breath, both sadness and fury lingering in her words. 

Now, any person with a brain would know  _ not  _ to interject when they’re on trial, but  _ obviously _ not Champ. He put his hands out. “Hey! What I do with  _ my  _ girl is none of your  _ fuckin’  _ business. Just cause your  _ dyke ass _ can’t get some-“

Nicole snapped her head towards him. “That’s why I got  _ Tori  _ texting me about when I’m gonna fuck her brains out again, right?” 

_ “Oh,  _ you _ son of a fucking bi-“ _ Champ went to lunge again, but Gus shot another warning shot into the air. 

“Enough!” The woman gently guided the petrified little boy off her leg and over towards Curtis, who had followed the three out to the mess unfolding on the front land. She then stalked over to Champ like a predator cornering it’s prey before taking him by his shirt and growling her words, “Waverly is  _ NOT ‘your’ _ girl. She ain’t  _ anybody’s  _ but her own. You do  _ not _ get to do whatever you want to her, dammit! Learn some  _ respect! _ And that goes for talking to Nicole, too. Who she dates and loves ain’t  _ none  _ of your business, boy, and it  _ certainly  _ ain’t grounds for name callin’ or fightin’.” She tightened her grip on his shirt when she saw him deeply gulp. “And let me make this last part  _ real  _ clear so you understand. You’re gonna  _ leave  _ Waverly alone. You’re gonna  _ leave  _ Nicole alone. And you’re gonna get your  _ mini-me  _ to  _ leave  _ Nash alone, too. For  _ good.  _ And you’re gonna pay for his new glasses while you’re at it, too.” She paused briefly before squinting and spitting venom with the last part, “Because  _ next  _ time, I ain’t gonna break it up. I’ll let Nicole continue to  _ wail  _ on your ass so you can show the world the little  _ bitch boy  _ you are.  _ Got it?” _ She knew the only thing she was gonna get was the nervous, vigorous head nod he gave her, so with that, she roughly released his shirt from her fist and huffed out hard. She watched with an evil glare as he scrambled to get his things and run to his truck, not even daring to look at neither Waverly nor Nicole.

Little did she know, though, he only scattered that quickly because he has seen the  _ murder  _ in Wynonna’s eyes.

Gus turned her gaze to the rest of them. “Go on and get inside. We’re gonna get y’all cleaned up, and Waverly, you’re going to tell me what in the  _ hell  _ was happening-  _ All  _ of what was happening. And Nicole, you’re gonna go comfort that brother of yours.” With nods in return, she turned and walked back to the house with the Haughts and Earps slowly following behind her. 

Soon enough, Gus and Curtis made it look like a war-time infirmary sprawled out on the kitchen table. The two war-torn looking girls sat in chairs not too far from each other, with Nash in one closest to Nicole, and Wynonna closest to Waverly. Nicole could tell something was off with Wynonna by the way she was playing with the pocket knife Gus left out to cut gauze if needed. Something was sad and distant in the way she twisted and twirled the blade gently on the pads of her fingers. They made quick eye contact with one another when Wynonna had felt eyes on her and looked up. 

Nicole turned her attention to her little brother, who was looking up at her eye quizzically. “What is it, Bug?” 

He tilted his head. “Does your eye really hurt, Coley?” 

“Nah. You’ve done worse kicking me in your sleep.” They both chuckled a little, and the younger one jumped down from his chair and into his big sister’s arms. “Hey, guess what?”

“What?” 

“Now we’re gonna have matching black eyes.”

“Twins!” Nash exclaimed with a giggle. Nicole nodded with a soft chuckle, hugging him a little tighter. 

Waverly turned to the Haughts and locked eyes with the eldest when she looked up at her. “. . . Hey.” 

Almost as if she knew, Gus called from the other room for Wynonna and Nash, telling them Wrestlemania was on. With a quick gust of wind, the redhead and brunette were now all alone in the kitchen, Wynonna only having followed once Waverly gave her a nod of approval. 

Waverly scooted closer to her Nicole with a sad sigh. Without thinking, she reached up and lightly ran her fingers under and around the redhead’s swollen and bruising eye. Nicole would be lying if she said she  _ didn’t  _ rejoice at the touch, whether she would like to admit it or not. “Does it hurt?” Waverly asked softly, her eyes too busy inspecting every inch of the offended skin to meet the redhead’s. 

“Nah,” Nicole mumbled. “Like I told Bug, I’ve had worse. It’ll heal up.” She was now fully aware of the younger girl’s focus on  _ her  _ face. Surely it wasn’t  _ that  _ exciting to look at. “Does yours?” She asked, genuinely concerned about the angry red flush lining Waverly’s left jaw and cheek. 

Waverly brought her hand back to her own face and rubbed gently before moving her hand to rest on her shoulder. “Nonna and Willa’ve done worse before. It’ll be okay.” 

_ Willa _ . 

She hasn’t said her name in  _ years. _ Not since before the accident . . . Before she died. 

“Willa?” The redhead repeated, never having heard Waverly mention her sister before. 

Waverly snapped out of whatever trusting state she was in with the other girl and sat up straight, severing their connection for the night. She cleared her throat and stood. “I should probably go call Chrissy or something.” She let out a heavy breath as she turned away, moving towards the stairs. Nicole was left to watch her hurry up the stairs with mixed emotions and mixed  _ feelings _ . 

Waverly pushed into her room and let out a shaky breath, running her hands up and down her face as she sat down on the edge of her bed. She knew Gus wanted her downstairs to talk about what had happened, but honestly, just  _ thinking  _ of Champ right now made her sick to her stomach.

_ Speaking of. _

Her phone dinged on her nightstand, so she leaned over and grabbed it, immediately feeling her body tense when she saw Champ’s name at the top of her screen  _ followed  _ by 20 other texts. She quickly scrolled through them, her heart rate increasing just as fast as the tears storming her eyes. 

He had said sorry. 

_ Sorry that ginger bitch ruined our fun.  _

Not only was he  _ still  _ insulting Nicole, but not  _ once  _ had he actually apologized for what he had done. The burning hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she bared her teeth, chucking her phone across the room. 

_ “Je-sus.”  _

Waverly looked up, widening her eyes when she saw that Wynonna had happened to walk through the door  _ just  _ as she threw it and almost got her head taken off by it. “Sorry,” she mumbled, scooting up her bed and pulling the blankets over herself as she laid down. 

“What’d your phone do to yo-” Wynonna picked up her phone and looked at the screen, clenching her jaw tightly as she scrolled up over the messages. “I’m gonna-” 

“Nonna . . .” Waverly mumbled softly, sniffling with a shake of her head, wanting her to just let it go. 

The older brunette relaxed a little, looking towards Waverly sadly. She walked over and crawled over her, laying down next to her. Waverly flipped over and snuggled into her chest, feeling her arms wrap around her body. “. . . Are you ok, Babygirl?”

“Do I look ok to you?” 

“No, I mean . . .” Wynonna squeezed her a little tighter. “He didn’t . . .” 

“No,” she mumbled. “He was just dry humping me.” 

_ “And  _ holding you down,” she added.

“Well, yea, but-” She shook her head with a small sigh. “I’ll be ok.” 

Wynonna swallowed but nodded, gently rubbing her thumb on her back. “You’ll tell me if you’re not, though, right?” 

“Wy, I’m gonna be  _ fine-”  _

_ “Waverly,”  _ she said in warning, grabbing her chin and forcing her head up so she was looking at her. “Your  _ boyfriend  _ was holding you down and trying to  _ force  _ you into doing things with him  _ outside, away  _ from the house. He didn’t  _ know  _ Nicole was in the barn. He did it there on  _ purpose. I  _ know it and  _ you  _ know it.” 

Waverly’s lip wobbled as she looked up at her, and Wynonna let go of her face, hugging her arm around her to pull her closer with a sigh. “I’m sorry,” Waverly mumbled. 

“You didn’t do anything, Babyg-” 

_ “I’m sorry _ I didn’t listen to any of you.” 

She furrowed her brows. “What d’you mean?” 

Waverly looked up at her again, and Wynonna wiped the tears from her face.  _ “Everyone  _ told me I needed to get away from him before it was too late, a-and I didn’t and now it’s too late.” 

Wynonna shook her head. “It’s not too late.”

_ “How?  _ He tried to fucki-” 

“But you’re not gonna end up with him in the end. That’s what we were all afraid of.”

Waverly let out a shaky sigh, “I guess not.” She wiped her face on Wynonna’s shirt. “Now what’m I gonna do?” 

“I dunno, sleep around.”

“Nonna!” She huffed. “That’s not what I  _ meant.”  _

“Oh, Wynonna mumbled. “Still, you can now.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I’m not letting a random dude take my V-card.” 

“. . . I never said it had to be a  _ dude.”  _

Waverly let out a choked noise in surprise.  _ “Wynonna!” _

“What?” She laughed. “I don’t know how you swing!”

Waverly glared at her. “I’m not letting a  _ random human  _ take my V-card. Better?” 

“A random dog possibly then?-” 

“Shut  _ up,  _ Wynonna,” she grumbled, burying her face in her chest.  _ “Jesus Christ.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queefarino: weLL THERE'S THAT!  
> Waves is finally done with Asshole McGue  
> I know, she took her damn time with that one, yeesh.  
> But anyhow, it feels really good to be back in this saddle. Sure, I may be balancing it on top of Lucky Strike and MY BRAND NEW YOU ARE MY HAPPY PLACE SEQUEL THAT YOU SHOULD GO CHECK OUT, but I think I'll be alright lmao.   
> To answer your question, YES, updates will be coming more frequently now. No more 4 month waits lmao  
> I know this chapter was short, but it is the second part to the first part that wasn't even supposed to be a two-parter anyways so you can deal lmao.  
> ALRIGHT QUEEF OUT 
> 
> Solace: Anyway feels good to be back, y’all. I feel like I owe an explanation of sorts. Long story short: I got arrested, went through a breakup, became an ~essential worker~, started a new relationship (honestly the love of my life), and then almost died in a very bad car wreck. Shits great 🤠. Anyway, I’ve been really trying to get into this universe again, because this fic, you could say, is my happy place (peep that Queef ref 😏). So let’s get back into our shitshow, shall we?


	16. We Saw the Same Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WayHaught are being gay idiots like usual and maybe they realize that they care about each other, idk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queefy: Yoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyo y'all  
> This is a 10k chap, so if you're wondering why it took so long, that's why. Also I just started school back up and I have 0 free time to write now, so expect slower updates on all my fics, whoooopsie.  
> I've got a feeling you guys are gonna have a good love-hate relationship with this chapter hehe.  
> Idk what else to say really except BUCKLE UP
> 
> Solace: HAHA HAVE A GOOD READ

**January 28th, 2019 6:51 AM**

Nicole yawned as she pulled her grey bomber jacket with white sleeves over her off-white t-shirt, grabbing her satchel off the floor by her bed, and heading out of the barn. Her face scrunched up when the cold wind hit it, and she flicked her hood over her head, continuing for the Homestead. 

“Mornin’, Dear,” Gus said from the kitchen when she walked in the front door. 

“Mornin’,” Nicole mumbled, dropping her backpack on the couch and walking into the kitchen. 

“C’mere. Lemme see that face of yours.” Nicole sighed as she walked over to where she was at the stove, looking down at her with a raise of her brows. Gus pushed her hood off and pulled the redhead’s glasses off, letting out a sigh as she ran her thumb over the bruising under her eye.  _ “Lord.”  _

“I’m alright,” Nicole assured her with a small smile. “I had to take my brow piercing out ‘cause of the swelling, but it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

Gus dropped her hand from her face, giving her a pointed look. “You still take it easy today, ya hear me? And ya call me if that sack of  _ shit _ or any of his dumbass friends tries to give ya any trouble.” 

“I will,” Nicole promised, slipping her glasses back on her face and grabbing a coffee mug out of the cabinet. She poured herself some, leaning back against the counter as she took a sip and looking up at the stairs when she heard feet coming down.

“Mornin’,” Gus said to her niece. 

“Morning,” Waverly mumbled, rubbing her eye as she rounded the stair rail.

Nicole gently caught her wrist as she went to pass her to get to the fridge, pulling her to stand in front of her. She furrowed her brow sadly as she cupped the jaw opposite to the cheek with the light purplish-red swelling on it, running her finger over it. “You ok?” The redhead asked, speaking barely above a whisper. 

Waverly nodded, her features softening at the sad puppy eyes staring down at her. “I’m ok.” 

“You sure?” Nicole questioned. “I’ll beat his ass some more.” 

“No, you won’t,” Waverly and Gus said at the same time.

Nicole threw them each a dirty look, and the brunette ran her thumb over her wrist with a smile. “I’ll be alright, Nic. I promise.”  _ Nic.  _ The nickname started to feel more and more natural to say, just as warm and inviting as it was to hear. 

“If you say so,” the redhead mumbled as she relaxed back against the counter, flicking her eyes down and cocking a brow. “That’s  _ my  _ sweatshirt, Ma’am.”

Waverly looked down at herself, smirking a little as she flicked the long sleeves of the black astronaut sweatshirt over her hands, grabbing one of Nicole’s and spinning around to wrap it around her, leaning against her side. “It looks better on me.” 

Nicole went stiff, but relaxed, shielding the look on her face with a drink of coffee. “Where’d you even get that?” 

_ “Well,” _ Waverly started.  _ “Someone  _ threw their clothes in  _ my  _ laundry basket after they showered upstairs instead of taking it out to the barn to throw in their  _ own  _ basket, so not only do I have their  _ very  _ swaggy,  _ very  _ comfy sweatshirt, but I  _ also  _ have a  _ very  _ soft red and black tie-dye shirt  _ and  _ some black sweatpants that would never fit me in a million years, but I’m still holding them hostage anyway.” 

“My Nike ones?” Nicole gasped in offense. “I’ve been  _ looking  _ for those.” 

“You’re the one who put them in  _ my room.”  _

Nicole let out a heavy sigh with an eye roll, pinching her side. Waverly shrieked, trying to wiggle away from her, but Nicole had tightened her grip around her waist.  _ “No!” _ She whined. “Lemme _ go!”  _ Waverly wiggled out of her grip and made it a whole three steps before the redhead had her arms looped around her middle.  _ “Cole!”  _

_ “Nope.”  _ Nicole turned her around, laughing as she dodged her smacks and leaned forward to get her over her shoulder.

Waverly let out another loud shriek, kicking her legs despite how Nicole’s arm was locked around the back of her knees. “Put me down!” 

“Oh, you want me to put you down?” Nicole asked, spinning them around a few times. 

Waverly smacked at her back. “Yes! Put me  _ down!”  _

“M’kay.” Nicole kept her grip around her legs and bent forward so Waverly was facing the ceiling, holding her top half up with her arm hooked under it. She grinned down at her as she tossed her onto the couch, pouncing on the brunette before she could go anywhere. 

_ “Nicole!”  _ She whined again, smacking at her shoulders. “You’re  _ heavy!”  _

“That’s rude coming from the one against fat-shaming,” Nicole mumbled, hovering her face above her’s with a tip of her head and a pointed raise of her brows. 

Waverly threw her a look. “I’m not calling you  _ fat.  _ I’m saying the  _ six-foot bodybuilder  _ is  _ fucking heavy  _ on top of the one who basically weighs a whole  _ Nash  _ less than you.” 

_ “Language,”  _ Gus grumbled from the kitchen.

Nicole wiggled her brows at the brunette. “Yea,  _ language.”  _

Waverly mocked her in an exaggerated tone before she wacked her shoulder. “Shut up.” 

“Ya know, I’m still thinking about how you called me a bodybuilder,” Nicole sighed, smirking when Waverly’s cheeks went red. 

_ “Figuratively,”  _ she grumbled.

“No,” Nicole said with a shake of her head. “I think you meant it.” 

“Meant what?” Waverly questioned.

“You are  _ flabbergasted  _ by my  _ killer _ physique. And not only do I thank you for that, but I also do not blame you one bit.” 

The brunette’s eyes rolled back in annoyance and she pushed at her shoulders. She knew she could no longer hide or play off the patches of fire growing all over her cheeks. “Get off me.” 

“Why?” Nicole questioned. 

_ “Because!”  _ She groaned. “Get off!” 

“What if I don’t want to?” She dropped her cheek to rest on her shoulder. “What if I’m  _ really _ comfy right here?” Waverly stared up at the ceiling in annoyance, smirking a little as she tightened her legs around her hips and rolled them off the couch, landing on top of her when Nicole hit the floor. The redhead let out a groan, grabbing the back of her head since it had smacked the ground. “What was  _ that  _ for?!” 

Waverly giggled, sitting up on her lap since she was straddling her. She poked her fingers into her stomach a few times. “Did that hurt? I’m sorry.” 

“Oh you little-“ Nicole scrambled to sit up and grab the other girl, but she used her  _ super  _ cheerleader flexibility to shoot up to standing upright on her feet before striking a pose with one foot up real girly, almost taunting her. 

“Little what?” She teased on more while Nicole got to her feet. 

“ _ Earp,” _ the redhead finished through a playfully clenched jaw. It faded soon into combined laughs and giggles between the two as they made their way back to the kitchen in hopes to see if Gus was done cooking. 

A little while later, more steps could be heard pattering down the steps, and by the light weight and speed, they could all tell that it was the younger Haught. With a small but mighty yawn to prove it, Nash appeared in the doorway with his eyes barely open. 

“Mornin’ there, kiddo,” Gus said over her shoulder with a smile as she plated everyone’s breakfast. 

Nicole reached out for her brother. “C’mere, Bug. Lemme see your face.” Nash made his way over to his big sister and crawled onto her lap. She grabbed his face gently, as she had previously with Waverly, and inspected closely. “Does it hurt anywhere?” She asked. 

“Not really, just stings when I touch it,” he replied, too busy studying her own wounds to even focus on any type of pain he felt.

“Well, don’t be touching it then!” Gus huffed. 

He hummed an acknowledgment before smiling back up at his sister. “Coley, you look cool.” 

She laughed and held him a little tighter. “I always look cool.” She was displeased when she not only got a look from Nash but when he and Waverly let out a snort. 

All the fun they were having, however, was cut short by the sounds of thunderous thuds bounding down the stairs with grumpy grunts tagging along with each one. After a moment, Wynonna appeared. 

_ “Good morning,  _ Sleeping Beauty,” Nicole said in a voice that was  _ far _ too sugary sweet for her liking. 

Wynonna shot her a sharp glare. “Watch it, Red.” The brunette was on autopilot to grab her Roast and Toast mug, as she did every morning. “Speaking of watching,” she mused as she leaned back and poured that sweet bean juice into her beloved mug. “How’s that shiner doin’?” She set the freshly brewed pot back down and took a sip of that straight-up  _ black  _ extra caffeine- The way her  _ soul _ needed it to be. 

Nicole stabbed her eggs a little harder than necessary. “Probably way better than  _ Mr. Shitface’s fragile masculinity _ is right now.” 

“ _ Language,”  _ both Gus and Nash chasisted. The older redhead put up a hand in an apology to the two. 

“I’m just glad everyone is okay,” Waverly said quietly into her forkful of food. 

“As of right now, Babygirl, everyone’s just  _ groovy, _ ” Wynonna mumbled with a small smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. 

“What does that mean, Nonna?” When her sister failed to answer and just continued smirking into her sip, Waverly squinted at her and lowered her fork. _ “Wynonnnna?”  _

Still donning her ‘Eat Shit’ smile, Wynonna threw up a hand above her head in defense as she brushed it off, “Nothing! Nothing . . .  _ yet.” _ She folded under the glare from her baby sister slightly as she followed it up, “I’m just  _ saying  _ if I happened to see a  _ certain man child _ at all during the day, doesn’t matter where, he may have an even  _ worse  _ day than he did yesterday.” 

“That’s if he even shows his  _ dumb  _ face,” Nicole added with a grumble. 

Waverly dropped her fork and let it clank on the edge of her bowl as she clenched her jaw mid-chew. “Yes. If  _ Champ,  _ he has a name-“ 

“Unfortunately it does.” Wynonna snuck out before taking her sip. 

“Yes, Wynonna,  _ he _ does have a name. Shitty or not, he is still a person and still kinda, sorta my boyfriend so  _ maybe  _ if we can  _ lay off  _ that would be fantastic.” She shot glares to the two older girls in the room. “ _ If  _ Champ does come in today, you’re going to leave him alone, alright? You don’t need to make matters worse. He’s already gonna probably be humiliated and embarrassed enough when the school puts two and two together seeing me, Nic, and him all bruised. This  _ is  _ Purgatory, but they’re still bright enough to put that together.” Her eyes softened towards her sister when she saw her jaw clench and look away. “Nonna, I  _ know  _ you just want to protect me, ok? I know. And I love you for it. But I’m telling you, it’s okay.  _ I’m _ okay. And you.” She met the set of brown, concerned eyes that were locked on her. “I’m really,  _ really _ grateful for what you did last night. I appreciate you being there for me and getting me out of  _ that. _ But I’m okay. I may not be a badass, leather-wearing, crazy chick like you, Nonna, or a hot, tattooed bodybuilder like you, Nic, but I  _ think  _ I can handle myself.” 

Given the serious circumstances, Nicole  _ really  _ should’ve been taking what Waverly was saying to heart, and totally  _ not _ focusing on the last words to fall from her perfect lips. But here she was, choking on the bite of pancake she had previously put into her mouth when the words  _ “ _ **_hot_ ** _**,** tattooed, bodybuilder”  _ hit her ears. 

Well, just ‘ _ hot’ really.  _

But she wasn’t the only one. 

Wynonna spat the small sip of coffee she had taken right out on the counter she was facing.  _ “Waitwaitwait. _ Pause, Babygirl. Did you just call Haught Pocket, here,  _ hot?!” _ Barks of laughter came spilling from her, and Gus began yelling at her to clean up her coffee mess. 

Nash joined in on the fun, poking at his sister's cheeks with each word.  _ “Oooooh, Coley, you’re hottttt!”  _

Nicole glared at him playfully. “Quit that or  _ else _ .” 

“Else  _ what?” _ He continued to tease, still poking her despite how she was swatting his hands away. 

“Or else you’ll get  _ poked back.  _ On the  _ sides.” _ Nicole started to tickle him, and she smirked when Nash yelped and stopped poking her immediately, for he was too ticklish to continue. 

_ “Anyway,”  _ Waverly grumbled, getting their attention once more. “None of that matters. What matters is that when you two go to school today you will be on your  _ best _ behavior and leave him alone, and  _ that  _ is my mommy voice." She effectively earned a grumbled compliance from both older girls. 

“Speakin’ of school, Darlin’,” Gus called from her comfy spot on the couch that she had moved to in the midst of all of that. “Ain’t it about time y’all went on and got there to give me some peace ‘round here for a few hours?" 

Nicole looked at her phone to see the time and sighed, “Alright c’mon, Bug. We’re running late. Go on and get your shoes and bag. Get.” He sighed as he had to abandon his specially made waffles and jump off Nicole’s lap. 

_ “No, Sir, _ you're not goin’  _ anywhere  _ ‘til you finish that breakfast!” Gus huffed as she got up and shuffled Nash back to the table. 

“Gus, we really have to go, though, or we’re gonna be late,” Nicole pleaded with the woman, but she wasn't having any of it and waved her off. 

“Uh-uh, I’ll take the kid. You can get on to school, but he’s not leavin’ the house on anything but a full stomach.” 

“You don’t have to. I’ll ju-“ 

“Nicole, it’s  _ alright. _ I ain’t doin’ anything too important today anyway. Besides, this boy is still too small, we gotta fatten him up a bit.” 

The older redhead looked back down to her brother who was confused as to who he should be listening to as he shoved an entire syrup-soaked waffle down his throat. Nicole’s face scrunched in slight concern and discomfort.  _ “Bug,” _ she mumbled in disapproval. He just shrugged as he swallowed the wad of waffle that was still making its way down his throat. She rolled her eyes, looking back up at the older woman with a sigh, knowing she would never win that war. “Alright. I appreciate it, Gus, thank you.” 

Very soon after, the girls all washed off their plates and gathered their things, leaving with a goodbye to Gus and Nash. Waverly climbed into Wynonna’s truck, and Nicole into her car, each throwing out their smart comments about beating each other there in their daily ‘race’. None of that really registered with Nicole, though, because she still was hearing a  _ certain brunette’s _ sweet yet firm voice echoing in the back of her head- A few  _ specific  _ words that went a little something like  _ ‘Hot, tattooed bodybuilder.’  _ Each one of her arm muscles flexed slightly as she gripped her wheel at the thought and she let out a shaky breath. “Well fuck.” Nicole chuckled to herself as she started her clunker. “Waverly Earp called me  _ hot.” _ Turning the wheel to head down the driveway, she continued to smile, although more sly this time.  _ “As she should.”  _

**7:51 AM**

The halls were buzzing with enough chatter and movement as everyone got ready for their first hour that Nicole hadn’t expected any attention drawn to herself, but she felt eyes on her as she made her way down the hall to her locker. She stopped at it and twisted the dial, pulling it open and dropping her bag to the floor. 

_ “Oh shit.”  _

Nicole stood up straight, turning and cocking a brow at Fish. “What?” 

“D’you run into a doorknob?” He questioned, pulling her glasses off and poking under her bruised eye. 

_ “Ow,  _ Dickhead. No,” she huffed, snatching her glasses back and pushing them onto her face. She flicked her eyes around before landing back on his face. “I got in a fight.” 

_ “Oo,  _ did you win? Who was it with? What was it-” 

Nicole smacked him to get him to shut up before bending down to put some textbooks in her bag.  _ “Yes, _ I won. Champ Hardy. He was trying to get in Waves’ pants when she didn’t want him to.  _ That’s  _ all I’m telling you.” 

“Champ Hardy . . . Is that the huge sack of barf with pearly whites in my shop class?” Fish questioned, following Nicole as she headed down the hall. 

“Yup,” she sighed, turning the corner and deciding that she wanted to take the back way to the cafeteria instead of the long way so there weren’t as many people and they didn’t have to yell to hear one another. 

“Damn,” Fish mumbled. “I think he deserves whatever you did to him five times over for trying to pull that kind of shit.”

“Tell me about it,” Nicole grumbled, untwisting the strap of her satchel so it was more comfortable on her shoulder. “And he woulda gotten it, too, if her aunt wouldn’t’ve broken us up.”

“I can only imagine what woulda happened if he woulda tried that in  _ our  _ neck of the woods.”

Nicole glanced towards him, letting out a hum.  _ “This _ is my neck of the woods now, but . . . yea. He’d  _ definitely  _ be dead.” 

Fish nodded in agreement, though he felt the way the air had shifted between them after what he had said. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking towards her with a raise of his brows. “Ya think he’ll show his face today?”

She chuckled with a sick grin spread across her face. “If he wants any dignity by the time word gets around of who did it to him,  _ no.” _

Fish laughed, smacking her shoulder. “Dude, I am  _ so  _ glad-”

_ “Shh.”  _ Nicole grabbed him by the backpack and yanked him back, pressing his back against the lockers behind her as she stood flat against the wall before the corner, peeking her head out some and seeing Waverly and  _ just  _ the boy-man they had been talking about standing by the exit door in that hall. 

“No, Baby,  _ c’mon,”  _ Champ begged. 

Waverly shoved his hand away when he tried to touch her and backed up a step with wide eyes.  _ “Don’t  _ even  _ think  _ about it, you  _ ass.”  _

He let out a scoff, “Waves, you’re being  _ ridiculous!  _ I said I was sorry! The only reason I’m  _ here  _ right now is to tell you that!”

“What, you’re scared your buddies are gonna find up you got beat up by a girl?” Waverly asked with a cross of her arms.

Champ let out a few noises in an attempt of a defense before finally getting some words out.  _ “No.  _ I just- I’m skipping. I need to . . . clear my head so I’m a better boyfriend to you.”

“What by  _ we’re done  _ do you not understand!?” Waverly huffed.

“You can’t just- You can’t  _ dump me!” _

Waverly pouted her lip at him with a sarcastic tip of her head. “Aw, looks like I just did.  _ Suck  _ it up. I’m not gonna be with someone who doesn’t even  _ care  _ about me, let  _ alone  _ not respect my wishes!” 

“I do,  _ too,  _ care about you!” Champ whined, yanking the sleeve of his hoodie up and poking his finger into the tattoo on his forearm. “Would I do this if I didn’t care about you?” 

Waverly rolled her eyes at him. “Dude, it’s  _ spelled  _ wrong. Also, trying to get me  _ in the mood  _ by holding me down doesn’t really show that you  _ care  _ about me. We’re  _ done  _ and I’ve already blocked you on  _ everything,  _ so don’t even  _ try  _ it.” 

Champ wasn’t facing Nicole, so she couldn’t see the look on his face, but she could tell it wasn’t a good one considering the fear that began to lace Waverly’s features. The boy-man let out a loud, annoyed groan and turned, drilling his fist into the locker beside him and starting for the exit door, shoving it open before storming out.  _ “Fuck you,  _ Waverly!” 

“Yea, you never will,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes and letting out a breath of relief as she continued forward to turn down the hall.

Nicole stepped out from her spot and put her hand out to stop her, widening her eyes when Waverly let out a shriek and jumped back. “What the  _ hell?”  _ She whined, smacking her arm. “You scared me!” 

“Sorry,” Nicole mumbled, furrowing her brow at her as she slid her hand down her arm. “You ok? I . . . heard all that.”

Waverly turned off her glare and let a grin push onto her face. “Oh, I’m amazing. That felt good.”

Nicole smiled a little. “Ok. Just checking.”

They both turned and continued down the hall, Fish joining at Nicole’s side. “You really  _ did  _ beat the fuck out of him, Red.  _ Jeez.”  _

“I told you,” Nicole smirked. “I ain’t one to lie about something like that.” 

Waverly leaned forward with a cocked brow to see him, hooking her thumbs on the straps of her backpack. “So who are you?” 

Fish looked towards her, giving her a soft smile. “Ambrose Dickenson. Everyone calls me Fish, though.” 

_ “I _ call him shithead, but that’s just me,” Nicole shrugged, getting a punch to the shoulder.  _ “Hey!”  _

Waverly chuckled a little, returning the smile she had gotten. “Ambrose is such a pretty name, though.”

“Waverly, I know you just broke up with Chum Bucket and all, but I’m _one,_ _very_ homosexual, and _two, very_ in a relationship.” 

She shook her head. “I wasn’t hitting on you, I just like your name.” 

“Oh,” he mumbled. “Well, in that case, go right ahead. I enjoy a good compliment every now and then.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes at him with a sigh.  _ “Anyway.  _ We grew up and lived together in the City and now he goes here. That’s just about all there is to us.” 

“You lived with him?” Waverly questioned.

Nicole furrowed her brows as she looked towards her. “I mean, we lived  _ together, _ yea. It was our house, though.” 

“You had a  _ house?!”  _

“I mean,  _ technically,  _ we still do,” Fish mumbled.

Nicole drooped her arm over Waverly’s shoulders, giving her left arm a squeeze as they headed into the cafeteria. “That’s all a story for another day, though.” She looked towards Fish. “Right?” 

Fish nodded with a small smile. “Right.” He threw his thumb over his shoulder. “I told the weights teacher I’d help him get the equipment ready before his first-hour class comes in. I’ll see y’all later.” 

“Bye,” Waverly said with a giggle as he spun around and almost smacked into a table before heading off. 

“They have a  _ weights class?”  _ Nicole asked with a dropped jaw as she slipped her arm off her shoulder. 

“Yea,” Waverly mumbled slowly. “You can sub it in for PE.”

“What the  _ hell,”  _ she whined. “They never told me that.” 

“You’re in the weight room for basketball all the time,” Waverly reasoned. “Just switch to it next year. You’ll live.” 

Waverly  _ wasn’t  _ going to tell her that she hoped she  _ wouldn’t  _ try to switch classes mid-semester because that meant they wouldn’t be in PE together anymore and that was something she simply would  _ not  _ be able to live without. Watching that girl play sports and work out did  _ far  _ too many things to her, sometimes being the only thing she looked forward to in a day.

And  _ maybe  _ the sights she got having her as a locker room buddy weren’t half bad either, though most of the time she tried  _ not  _ to be creepy and stare at her.

Keyword  _ most  _ of the time. 

Even a  _ straight  _ girl could only resist  _ not  _ looking at Nicole while she was shirtless for so long. 

“I guess,” Nicole sighed, and that was  _ music to Waverly’s ears.  _

**8:13 AM**

Waverly and Nicole headed into Phlo’s room and found their seats, setting their bags by their chairs. 

Well, sort of.

Nicole dropped down onto Waverly’s chair with a content sigh, her legs stretched out into the aisle beside her. The brunette crossed her arms, looking down at her with a glare. “Excuse me.”

“May I help you?” Nicole questioned with a tip of her head, donning an innocent smile. 

“You may, actually. I’d like for your butt  _ not  _ to be in my seat.” 

“Oh,” the redhead mumbled. “I’m afraid I can’t help you there.” 

“Oh,” Waverly echoed, letting out a sigh as a  _ tiny  _ smile pulled at her lips. “Ok!” She turned and dropped  _ right  _ onto her lap, licking her lips when Nicole’s hands shot right to her hips. “I guess this’ll have to do then.” 

Nicole cleared her throat, tipping her head a little. “Uhm. Excuse me,” she mumbled, her voice rumbling by her ear. 

The brunette leaned back against her front, looking towards her with a smile. “May I help you?” 

Nicole threw her a look, seeing what game she was playing. She gave her hips a squeeze or two, only gripping them harder after. “I’d like for your butt  _ not  _ to be on my lap.” 

Waverly pouted her lip at her, only realizing when she flicked her eyes down  _ just  _ how close their faces were to one another. “Actually, I think I  _ can  _ help you there.” She smirked as she pushed off of Nicole and pulled her glasses off in one motion, getting away from her before the redhead could process what had happened. 

“God  _ dammit,”  _ Nicole grumbled, pushing out of her chair quickly and tripping a step, putting her arms out a little and stumbling down the row of desks, losing track of where she went since she had been staring at her feet for the most part. “Waverly, where the- Gimme my glasses.” 

“If you can find me, I’ll give you them,” she giggled. 

Nicole rolled her eyes, knowing she was technically only working with one fucked up eye compared to her usual two since the other one was basically swollen shut. The redhead looked in the direction that her voice had come from with a squint, pursing her lips when she recognized the black of Waverly’s figure from the black sweatshirt and leggings she had been wearing now sitting at her own desk. She let out a huff as she slowly walked down the row, only tripping over a few people’s things and getting laughed at by them before getting to her and reaching out for them, sliding her hand from her wrist to her hand when she held it out, letting out a whine when she realized she was holding a black pen in her hand instead of the glasses.  _ “Wave.”  _

“Find ‘em.” 

“It  _ freaks  _ me out when I can’t see,” Nicole mumbled softly, catching her other arm and feeling her empty hand. “Just give them, ok? Please?”

The brunette saw the look on her face and knew she wasn’t bluffing, sighing as she pushed them off the top of her head onto her own face and grabbing Nicole’s hands, bringing them to cup her cheeks. “How do you even  _ see  _ with these? Oh my  _ God.”  _

Nicole huffed as she pulled them off of her and pushed them back on her face. “Ass.” 

“Oh, shut up, you love it,” Waverly smirked. 

The redhead threw her a look, raising her brow when the bell rang and the class began to take their seats. “Get up.” 

_ “Make me.” _

“Oh, you think I won’t?” Nicole questioned, going to grab her, but standing back up straight with a sigh when the brunette shot out of the chair. “Didn’t think so.” The redhead went to sit down but smirked a little as she looked towards her as she turned to walk away. She gave her ass a quick smack before dropping into her chair, snorting when Waverly let out a shriek.

Waverly spun back towards her with her teeth bared, leaning forward and slapping her hand.  _ “Bad.” _

“Oh, you love it,” Nicole winked, holding in a laugh as Waverly glared at her with red cheeks before just climbing over the rail of her desk and plopping down. 

“Settle down, everybody,” Phlo grumbled from his desk. “I’m not your babysitter.” He did a few more things at his desk and waited for the announcements to roll over before standing up with a clap. “Alright, good morning!” 

He got a mumbled response, but Nicole had just about stopped listening at this point as she bent down and pulled out the book in her bag. She propped it up on her desk and opened it up, tapping her bookmark on her leg.

She looked towards the brunette when she pulled on her sleeve after a minute, raising a brow in question. Waverly nodded towards her book, and Nicole flipped it towards her to show her the cover. The brunette read it over, grabbing for it. Nicole handed it over with a sigh, allowing her to read the back as well. She watched her do so, a soft smile pushing onto her face when she noticed how she was curled up on her chair, one foot up on the seat and the other leg fed sideways under it. Waverly chewed on her lip as she read, not even realizing how the redhead was looking at her until she went to hand it back. "What?" She asked with a furrowed brow, passing it back over. 

Nicole shook her head with a shrug, giving her a little smile. "Nothing." 

Waverly narrowed her eyes at her.  _ "What?" _

"Nothing," Nicole repeated with a laugh. "I was just looking at you." 

"Well, don't look at me like that." 

"Like what?" Nicole questioned. 

"Like . . . _ that.  _ I dunno." 

Nicole shook her head at her, biting the inside of her cheek to keep a smile down. "I literally have no idea what  _ that  _ is, but alright." Nicole looked forward when she saw someone pass across the front of the room and the color drained from her face. 

“Oh, that’s  _ bull- _ What?” Waverly asked when she noticed how Nicole flicked her hood up and sunk far down in her seat. She looked towards where the redhead's eyes were locked when Nicole had ignored her, her brows raising when she saw an officer talking to Mr. Phlo. 

And they were almost saucers when he pointed right at Nicole. 

"Haught," the cop said after turning from the teacher, hooking his thumbs on his belt as he took a few steps towards her row. "You're under arrest. Let's go." 

Nicole shook her head, putting a hand out. "I didn't do anything, Dude." 

"I'm not your  _ dude. _ Now let's go." 

Nicole rolled her eyes. "Tell me what I did first 'cause I can  _ guarantee _ you've got the wrong person."

The officer glared at her. "You’re under arrest for violating your parole." 

"Ok, then where's my PO? If I did, he should be here, not  _ you."  _

"He's out of town," he grumbled. "Either come with me  _ now  _ or we're doin’ it the hard way." 

"What's the probable cause?" Nicole questioned. 

"You  _ really  _ wanna do this in here?" He asked, walking down the row towards her. "I'd be  _ happy  _ to do this in here." He grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her out of her seat. 

Nicole let out a huff, pulling away from him.  _ "Ok.  _ I'll go, jeez." She glared at him as he grabbed her again and drug her towards the door before flicking her eyes towards Waverly. "Get Bug." The officer shoved Nicole away when they were out of the classroom, and she huffed, rolling her shoulder a little to ease the light ache from his grip. “Now  _ what?”  _

“When you transferred here, the school was ordered to call your parole officer if they had  _ any  _ evidence that you’d been in a fight, so I’m  _ pretty damn sure  _ you know what you’re being arrested for.” 

Nicole sunk in on herself a little and her brows came together. “I did what I had to,” she mumbled.

“Who’d you fight? A buyer who tried to skimp ya? Another dealer?”

“I’m not  _ dealing  _ anymore,” she growled, taking a step closer to him. “I’m  _ done  _ with that, I told y’all.” 

“Apparently you weren’t done  _ fightin’,  _ though,” he mused. 

“I didn’t-”

_ “Listen here, Shit Ticket!”  _

Nicole looked towards Waverly with wide eyes as she stormed out of the classroom and pushed herself between the officer and Nicole. 

Waverly tensed a little with fright when she saw the fire in the officer’s eyes. “. . .  _ Officer _ Shit Ticket.” 

The redhead grabbed her arm and pulled her back from him. “Waves-”

“Shut up.” Waverly yanked her arm back and poked her finger into  _ Officer Diaz’s _ chest, having flicked her eyes down to the nametag on his uniform. “You’re not arresting her.”

“She violated her parole,” he informed. “She knows what she can and can’t do, and she got into-” He paused, leaning in closer to her face and tipping her head to the side with his finger, widening his eyes and snapping them toward the redhead. He moved Waverly out of the way and grabbed onto Nicole’s arms, turning her around and slamming her up against the locker. 

“What the  _ fuck,  _ Man!?” Nicole shouted as he cuffed her hands behind her back, Waverly having let out a shriek when Nicole hit the locker. “Break my glasses,  _ I dare you.”  _

Officer Diaz fisted the back of Nicole’s jacket and pressed her harder against the metal. “Did you hit her?!” 

“Let  _ go  _ of her!” Waverly cried as she pulled at one of his arms. “She didn’t!” 

“So it’s just some  _ coincidence  _ then?” He questioned, not budging from his position. “You just  _ happen  _ to have a bruise on your face and’re out here trying to get me to let the one with bruised hands  _ and  _ a bruised face go?” 

Waverly’s mouth came open, but no words came out. It was  _ then  _ that she remembered the day Nicole had  _ almost  _ hit her but  _ didn’t  _ because it was  _ against her parole. _ She looked towards the redhead, and she shook her head. “Don’t get roped into this,” Nicole mumbled. “Just . . . call Gus, ok? She’ll figure it out.”

“She’s already on her way, I texted her before I came out here,” Waverly said before looking back up at the officer with a locked jaw. “She didn’t hit me.” 

“Then  _ who  _ did?” He asked with a tip of his head. 

“Waves . . .” Nicole pleaded.

Waverly looked back towards her, shaking her head. “I’m not letting you go back there when you didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“But-” 

The brunette ignored her, talking over her as she looked back to Officer Diaz. “She got into a fight with my boyfriend after-” She clenched her jaw again, looking away from him. “After she pulled him off me.”

Officer Diaz loosened his grip on Nicole when he had felt her relax against the lockers she was pushed against, looking between them before landing back on Waverly. “What was he doin’?” 

“Take a guess,” she grumbled. 

The officer looked back at Nicole, stepping back from her completely and turning her around. “Is that true, Haught?”

She shrugged a little. “I dunno if he was actually gonna go . . .  _ that  _ far, but yea.”

He let out a disappointed sigh, looking back towards Waverly. “So how’d  _ you  _ get hit?” 

“I got in the way trying to break them up,” she mumbled. 

“He punched you on  _ purpose,” _ Nicole argued. “And you  _ know  _ it, too.” 

Waverly let out a huff, “Nico-” She stopped and shook her head. “Look, ok, I’m not talking about it anymore, alright? Just  _ please  _ let her go.” 

The officer clenched his jaw for a few seconds before releasing the grip on her arm and digging the keys for the cuffs out. “This is your warning, Kid. We’re not doin’ this again. Next time, I don’t give  _ two shits  _ what happened. I’m lockin’ your ass up again.” 

“Yea, good luck with that,” she grumbled under her breath, rubbing her sore wrist as Officer Diaz stuffed the cuffs back in his belt and turned away, heading back down the hall. 

Nicole looked back towards the brunette right as she threw herself in her arms, slowly wrapping her arms around her top half and letting out a shaky breath. “Don’t do that to me again,” Waverly breathed out. 

The redhead looked down at her face that was pressed against her chest with raised brows. “I mean, I didn’t plan on it.” 

Waverly looked up at her with a singular tear rolling down her cheek. “I  _ mean  _ it, Nic.” 

Nicole’s eyes saddened with a hint of confusion and she let go of her. “What’s that for?” 

“You  _ scared  _ me,” she mumbled, wiping her face. “I- I thought he was gonna take you.” 

“Nah,” she said with a shake of her head. “Diaz knew he’d get his ass handed to him if he brought me in for that.” 

“You know him?” Waverly questioned. 

Nicole let out a heavy sigh. “He’s the one who booked me before my second time locked up. We’ve got some . . .  _ history.” _

“They sent a guy from  _ The City  _ all the way over here for you?” She asked with furrowed brows. 

Nicole leaned back against the lockers, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I still have affiliations over there, so . . . yea.” 

Waverly shook her head, looking down at herself and then back to Nicole, having the strongest urge she had ever felt to just be close to her. She sniffled, taking a few steps forward and leaning against her chest, feeling Nicole’s arms slip back around her. “I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” Nicole mumbled, resting her chin on her head.

“If I would’ve just  _ listened  _ to everyone, this wouldn’t have happened-” 

_ “Hey.”  _ Waverly looked up at the redhead. “Don’t  _ ever  _ say that. It wasn’t your fault.”

She let out a sigh, leaning her head back against her chest and slipping her arms under her jacket to wrap around her middle. “Still-”

_ “Waverly.”  _

The brunette closed her eyes, releasing a long breath from deep within her chest and shutting herself out from the outside world, only taking in the sounds of Nicole’s and her own breathing.

They stayed like that for a few more moments until Waverly’s phone buzzed in her pocket and it startled her. She pulled back from Nicole and dug it out, looking up at her. “Gus is here.” 

“What’s she gonna do now?” The redhead asked. “There’s no problem anymore.”

“She’s gonna take us home,” Waverly mumbled, turning towards the classroom. “I’m not staying here today.” Nicole raised her brows at that, slowly following her in to grab their things. She wasn’t going to  _ decline  _ the offer of a day off school. 

They headed to the office and found the older woman, Nicole’s body being crushed in a hug from her the second they walked through the doors. “Oh, thank  _ goodness.”  _

Nicole gave her back a rub before she released her. “I’m alright,” she mumbled. 

Gus gave her cheeks a squeeze before looking towards the obviously upset Waverly and pulling her into a hug. “You’re ok, too, Sweetheart.” Gus looked back up at Nicole before stomping towards the front desk in warning of the hell that was going to break loose.

Nicole fidgeted with the strap of her bag, looking around the office and feeling her chest getting tight, the realization of all that had happened finally setting in. She swallowed as she moved towards Gus as she yelled at the principal for letting Diaz come into their class to get Nicole and whatnot, tapping her arm. She looked up at her, tipping her head. “What’s a’matter?” 

“Can-” She threw her hand over her shoulder, pointing towards the exit doors. “Can I go?”

“Go where?” She questioned. 

“Just . . . away, I dunno,” she mumbled. 

Gus let out a sigh, giving her hand a squeeze. “Ya tell me when you’ll be back or if ya need anything, ya hear?” 

“I will,” she assured softly. 

“Alright, go on,” Gus said, nodding towards the door. “Be back by 10 or you’re gettin’ whooped.”

“Ok, thank you,” Nicole said quickly before heading out the door of the office.

“Where’s she  _ going?” _ Waverly huffed, walking over to her aunt. 

“She wants some space, Dear,” Gus sighed. “After what just happened, I don’t blame her either.” 

Waverly pursed her lips, looking up at the window behind the slightly frightened secretary and watching Nicole running towards her car across the parking lot, opening the trunk and trading her satchel out with a skateboard. “She’s not even taking her car,” Waverly mumbled, her brows furrowed with worry as she watched her drop the board and take off on it. 

Gus wrapped her arm around her shoulders, throwing one last sharp glare at all of the office staff before turning them towards the door, having signed both of the girls out. “Just let her go, Hon. She’ll be alright.” 

Waverly swallowed as she watched her figure quickly disappearing in the distance. “I hope so.”

**5:38 PM**

“Duuuuude, I am  _ so _ gonna kill Gingervitis when she shows up later!” Wynonna whined as she slumped down on the couch dramatically. Waverly glared at her from the opposite end, but she continued anyway, “She got to skip the rest of school  _ AND  _ she didn’t have run stupid drills at practice today. Not that she really needs them, to be fair . . .” She trailed off talking to herself for that last part, not even noticing how Waverly got defensive, crossing her arms. 

“Nonna, she was _ traumatized!  _ You weren’t there. That Officer Shit Ticket-“

_ “Diaz,”  _ Wynonna corrected. He was a familiar face to her from the  _ good ol’ days  _ as well. 

“. . . Officer Shit Ticket  _ Diaz,”  _ she continued with annoyance. “He embarrassed her in front of  _ everyone  _ and  _ then  _ made her think she was getting locked up again. _ ” _

“That’s kinda his M.O., Babygirl,” Wynonna sighed, sitting up from her coffin-like position on the couch. “Why do you care so much anyway? I thought you were president of the  _ Anti-Nicole Committee.” _

Waverly’s eyes bulged slightly, afraid of whatever she  _ thought  _ her sister was implying. She was too caught up to remember that her darling sister, although special in her own way, was denser than cave rock. “I just- I don’t _ like it  _ when people are treated unfairly or accused of something they didn’t do. That’s all.” Again, if it were to  _ anyone else  _ she’d be worried of the implications, but it was  _ Wynonna. _

With a slight huff and a shrug, the older Earp got up and shuffled her sore body into the kitchen. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, that probably was a pretty shitty ‘Good morning’ from Phlo. Letting Dickhead Diaz come in there and do that?” 

“And that’s another thing! I’m so pissed at the school! Why would they do that?” At this point, Wynonna’s kitchen-turned-safe haven was invaded by her little sister, who followed her promptly to continue the conversation she thought was over. It’s not that Wynonna didn’t care about Nicole- of  _ course  _ she loved her like another sister. But since she was okay, and that both Waverly and Gus had gone all Earpy/Gibson on Purgatory High’s ass about their ‘unprofessionalism’, she didn’t see the need for all these bad vibes up in her space. 

“Woah there, Babygirl,” Wynonna soothed while she reached for her special mug, “Let’s take it slow here. Nic is okay. Gus handed the school their saggy asses, and no one’s in cuffs. Everything's all good.” 

“Except for  _ Cole.  _ I don’t even know where she is or if she  _ is _ okay! She’s your  _ best friend,  _ Wynonna, why aren’t you worried about where she is?” Waverly questioned, throwing her arms out. She didn’t want to be the  _ only one _ upset about everything.

Right when her sister was about to snap back at the implication, a knock on the door grabbed their attention before any verbal boxing could begin. Very soon after, the shadow of an old western cowboy appeared behind them in the open doorway. 

“I do apologize if I interrupted anything,” Doc mumbled as he looked at the sisters. “I texted Wynonna before, but she did not answer, so I presumed she fell asleep.” 

“And miss out  _ studying _ with you, Cowboy? Not a chance.” The older sister sauntered over to the man and laid one hand on his chest as the other laced with one of his own. Turning to lead him out of the room, she smirked towards Waverly, who was presuming what  _ studying _ meant and didn't want to be around to hear. “Talk to you later, Babygirl. No hard feelings about before.” Waverly just rolled her eyes as the two very hastily made their way up the stairs. Thank god Curtis and Gus were still at the farm with Nash to keep him distracted. 

Still filled with worry for the redhead, the younger girl racked her brain on how or where she could find her. She just wanted to make sure she was okay. Jerk or not, she really did like her around, and she wasn’t too bad on the eyes either. Like, not bad _ at all. _ And she  _ cared _ for her. That was something that was new to her coming from someone that wasn’t blood. Well, except Chrissy, but at this point she  _ was _ family. 

Then, like some miracle sent from some type of angel dude, she heard a muffled buzz coming from under the leather jacket Wynonna had previously thrown on the table haphazardly. She quickly flipped the jacket over and found her sister’s phone telling her a meme on an account called “drunk.squidward.memes” had just posted. ‘ _ Of course she has those notifications on.’  _ She thought. Already knowing the password, Waverly was already scrolling through her sister’s followers. If she could find the redhead’s page, she could then probably stalk her to find someone she could ask for somewhere to start looking for her. 

She typed Nicole in the friend’s search bar and got nothing.  _ Huh _ . Then she tried Haught and found one user: A handle called @HaughtPocket. “Yeah, that’s the one,” she sighed with a chuckle. 

Once on Nicole’s page, she couldn’t help but steal a few seconds to stalk and scroll. Her mouth watered slightly when she came across a few pics of her sweating as she played basketball or just finished up. Just scrolling through for a bit, she came across two familiar faces: Wynonna and Fish. 

_ Fish  _

She quickly realized that she had her in. 

Like a horny teenage boy does to every girl in his middle school class, she grabbed her phone, typed in the @, and slid into those DMs. 

**@MakinWaves: Hey, it’s Waverly. I’ve got a question and I feel like u could help me**

To her surprise and relief, she saw a little bubble that said  _ typing  _ almost right after she sent it. 

**@SomethingSmells: Hey there, baby Earp. How can I help ya?**

**@MakinWaves: I’m really worried about Nic. She left school early and went somewhere but Idk where. U know her better than I do, so I figured u’d know where I could look**

**@SomethingSmells: Yeah I heard about Diaz. Fucking scum’s always had it out for her. I dunno why tho. She’s just as bad as the rest of us**

**@MakinWaves: used to be**

**@SomethingSmells: Right right, sorry**

**@SomethingSmells: Sometimes I forget where I’m at and that I’m not living scared in the city anymore. I’m just living scared in more of the countryside lol**

**@MakinWaves: Lol yeah it’s all good**

**@MakinWaves: So any ideas?**

**@SomethingSmells: Uhhhhh**

**@SomethingSmells: Well ik she likes to watch the sunset and shit on the roof of McDanks. She mentioned it to me and we were up there when we were out skating the other day**

**@MakinWaves: McWhat now?**

**@SomethingSmells: Lmao McDonalds. I forgot ur not a city kid**

**@MakinWaves: Yeah haha. Sometimes I swear it’s like we speak different languages! Now r u sure she said ‘McDanks’?**

**@SomethingSmells: Ur not wrong, sometimes** **_I’m_ ** **not even sure I’m speaking English lmao. And yeah, she said something about a good view...And then it turned into talking about other great views.**

**@MakinWaves: 🙄 of course it did.**

**@MakinWaves: Thank you, Fish! And btw you and ur boyfriend are very cute 😊**

**@SomethingSmells: Awww, thank u. Yeah, my honey’s alright. You go find our girl, okay?**

**@MakinWaves: I’ll try! Thanks again**

**@SomethingSmells: Np :)**

Waverly wasted no time after that in grabbing her keys and pulling her shoes on before heading out the door and climbing into her Jeep.

She had a ginger to find, and she wasn’t gonna stop until she did.

**5:51 PM**

Waverly parked in the parking lot of McDonald’s and stared up at the building with a slightly cocked brow, slowly climbing out of her jeep. She almost climbed back in the car and took matters of searching for Nicole into her own hands because there was no  _ way  _ she was up there, but  _ then  _ she saw a certain skateboard leaning against the side of the building out of the corner of her eye.

She let out a sigh as she walked over to the ladder on the side of the building, staring up at it for a second and tapping her thumbs on the cold metal in contemplation. She shook her head, biting the bullet and slowly climbing up the side of the building. She pulled herself over the edge and flicked her eyes around, seeing red hair poking out above one of the metal vents. She swallowed, walking over and pushing her hands into her hoodie pocket.

Waverly’s eyes went wide when she reached the vent and looked around it, not seeing Nicole there anymore. “What the-” She spun around when she recognized the sound of a pocket knife closing, looking up at Nicole, who was now standing behind her with one in her hand.  _ “Dude-” _

Nicole sighed as she shoved the knife back into her pocket and sat back down in front of the vent, leaning back on it. “I didn’t know who you were at first,” she mumbled.

Waverly took a seat next to her, keeping a decent amount of space between them. “Oh.” She watched as the redhead fed her left foot under her right knee, crossing her arms. “. . . How long’ve you been up here?” 

“Since I left the school,” Nicole answered. 

She raised her brows at her. “The  _ whole  _ time?”

“Yep.”

“Why?” She asked softly.

Nicole shrugged a little, keeping her eyes glued in front of her. “I needed a place to think and . . .” She nodded towards the sky in front of her. “And I wanted to watch the sunset.” 

Waverly looked out in front of them, smiling a little bit as she traced her eyes across the pinks and purples dancing across the sky, nothing in the way to obstruct their view of it. She looked back towards the redhead, noticing how she was staring down at her foot that was out in front of her. “Nic . . .” She didn’t move her eyes, so Waverly scooted closer to her and grabbed her hand with a squeeze. “Hey.” 

Nicole snapped out of it, looking towards her. “What?” 

Waverly let out a worried huff, cupping both of her hands over her’s. “You’re  _ freezing.”  _

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, looking back out in front of them. “Why’d you even come find me?” 

“Because . . .”

“Because  _ why?” _ Nicole questioned with a little more snappiness than she had meant to. Waverly’s brows furrowed, and she pursed her lips, leaning her head back and giving one of her hands a squeeze.

“I was just . . . worried, ok? You were gone  _ all  _ day and didn’t even go to practice after school.” 

She shrugged a little. “Didn’t feel like it.”

“Nic,” Waverly said softly, getting her to  _ actually  _ look at her for more than one second. “You can talk to me about . . . anything. I get today was  _ really  _ scary, and I don’t want you to have to deal with it alone.”

Nicole swallowed roughly, keeping her jaw clenched tightly as she cleared her throat and turned her head back forward. “Just . . . I sat here all day waiting for the sun to go down. I’ll be damned if I ain’t gonna watch it.”

“Then after that?” Waverly asked softly, not even realizing that, at some point, she had gone from holding her hand to  _ holding  _ her hand, their fingers interlocked and all.

Nicole let out a sigh, lifting their hands and slipping her arm around her, pulling her to lean into her side. “Then we’ll talk.”

Waverly smiled up at her for a few seconds, letting out a content hum as she rested her head against her shoulder. “I can live with that.” 

**6:32 PM**

It was quiet between them pretty much the entire time they were sitting there, just the occasional heavy sigh or sound of moving, which was mostly them snuggling closer together as the temperature continued to drop just as fast as the sun was in the sky. Nicole stretched both legs out in front of her, squeezing Waverly's hip with a grunt as her knees and ankles popped. 

"Jeez, Rice Krispy," Waverly mumbled.

_ "What?"  _ Nicole asked with a laugh. 

"Snap, crackle, pop?" She offered with a crooked smile. 

The redhead rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. "Funny." 

"I do try," Waverly smirked. 

Nicole slipped her arm out from around the brunette, dropping both of her hands to her stomach. "Rude. Now I'm hungry. What'd Gus make tonight?" 

"Stir fry- Wait, did you eat today at all?" 

"Breakfast," Nicole mumbled. 

Waverly huffed as she wacked her arm.  _ “Nicole!”  _ She pushed off the ground and grabbed her arm, hauling her up to her feet. “Let’s go, I’m getting you some food.” 

Nicole heard her mutter something that sounded a lot like  _ dumbass  _ as she pulled her towards the ladder on the building. “Waves, I’ll just eat at home. It’s fine.” 

“No!” She turned around and poked her chest. “You’ve been sitting out here in the cold  _ all  _ day and haven’t ate or drank  _ anything. _ You’re probably gonna  _ pass out  _ or something. C’mon.” 

“There ain’t no way in  _ hell  _ I’m eating McDonald’s,” she grumbled, staying put right where she was. “I’ve had way too much of that over the past few months.” 

Waverly rolled her eyes at her with a heavy sigh, “Then we’ll go to Shorty’s. It’s right up the road.” 

Nicole pursed her lips but gave in with the sharp glare she was shot.  _ “Fine.”  _ She threw her leg over the side of the building and went down the ladder, looking up when she reached the bottom and waiting as Waverly descended. She grabbed her hips and set her gently on the ground without even thinking, her brain somehow deciding for her that she hadn’t wanted the brunette to have to jump off the bottom rail that was a couple of feet off the ground. Waverly looked at her weird, and Nicole cleared her throat, grabbing her skateboard off the wall and shoving it under her arm as she began walking to the sidewalk to head towards Shorty’s. 

“So . . .” Waverly started, pulling her sleeves over her hands. “Can we talk now?” 

Nicole glanced towards her out of the corner of her eye, gripping her board a little tighter. “What d’you want me to talk about?” 

“What you spent all day thinking about,” Waverly answered. 

Nicole shrugged, kicking a rock and watching it skid across the concrete in front of them. “I dunno. Just . . . what woulda happened if I went back.” 

“Like . . .?” 

“Like . . . how I could have been tried as an adult since I’ve been locked up so much already and I’m a year away from actually  _ being  _ an adult. Or how Nash coulda got taken back again.” 

“We wouldn’t let that happen,” Waverly mumbled. 

Nicole looked towards her with a shake of her head. “You don’t really have a choice on that.” 

“Oh, we’d make it a choice.” 

“Last time Wynonna tried that, she almost got arrested for kidnapping, so.” 

_ “What?”  _ Waverly questioned with wide eyes. 

Nicole cocked a brow at her. “He lived at the Homestead last summer after I went back, did you not know that?” 

She slowly shook her head. “I guess that’s when I was at cheer camp for, like, a month.”

“Well, yea. He was there for about a week or so, but then CPS found him and took him back to our  _ shithead sperm donor _ and told Wy and Gus and everybody they weren’t allowed to come get ‘em.” 

“I don’t- How are they even allowed to make him go back there?” 

Nicole shook her head with a sad sigh. “He’s his legal guardian. It was hard enough convincing them that I’d look after him.” 

“How’d you do that?” She questioned. 

Nicole glanced towards her, clenching her jaw a few times. “You can change a lot of people’s minds when you’re dragging money under their nose.” 

“You  _ bribed  _ CPS?” 

“Yup,” Nicole mumbled.

“With how much?” 

Nicole looked down the road on either side before walking across the street to get to the block Shorty’s was on. “Around 20 grand.” 

_ “20 GRAND?!”  _

Nicole smacked her arm, throwing her a look.  _ “Shh. _ You wanna get robbed?” 

Waverly pursed her lips, flicking her eyes around before looking back up at her. “How the hell did you get that?” 

Nicole pushed her hand into her pocket, letting out a sigh, "Me and the rest of my people went balls to the wall with our sales for a month or so and all put our money together at the end." 

"Really?" Waverly asked with a smile, and Nicole nodded. "That was nice of them." 

Nicole smiled softly. "We've all always had each other's backs with that kind of stuff. There wasn't really any questions to it. I needed the help and they were all game for it."

"So like . . . if one of them needed something now, would you still help?" 

"Of course I would," Nicole answered. "Family's family." 

"You'd do  _ anything?"  _

"Hell yea, I would." 

Waverly raised her brows at her. "So . . . If one of them needed money, would you go back to dealing?" 

Nicole clenched her jaw as she looked towards her, almost as if she was contemplating if Waverly was trying to trick her or not. ". . . If it was life or death, no questions, I'd be out there again. But other than that . . . no. Not unless I had no other  _ legal  _ options, but even then, they'd need a  _ damn  _ good reason. I wouldn't do it for something that wasn't urgent or hella important . . . They know better than to loop me into something for no reason 'cause they're all  _ well  _ aware I'll have their fuckin' ass."

Waverly nodded in agreement. "I guess that's fair, yea." 

Nicole looked to her right, scrunching her face up when she saw what they were walking past. She raised her brows a little, looking down at the brunette. “So . . . how much money would it take for you to get back with Handsy?” She questioned, nodding towards Champ’s house that was right next to Shorty’s. 

Waverly’s lip hitched and she let out a scoff as she immediately slowed down. “Why the  _ fuck  _ would you think I’d do that for  _ any  _ amount of money?” 

Nicole turned towards her, furrowing her brow. “I was just askin’,” she mumbled. 

“Why? You seriously think I’m  _ that stupid  _ or- or _ gullible? Really,  _ Nicole?” 

“I never called you stupid  _ or  _ gullible,” she huffed, turning and continuing towards the bar. “I was just asking, _ chill out.” _

“Don’t tell me to  _ chill out!  _ Asking me if I’d go back to him after what he  _ did  _ to me?! That  _ you  _ saw?! It sounds like you think I’m a fucking  _ idiot!”  _

Nicole rolled her eyes, turning back towards her when Waverly stomped towards her.  _ “Oh my God,  _ drop it! Forget I asked!” She shook her head with an exhale.  _ “Jeez.”  _

“No, I’m not gonna  _ drop it!”  _

_ “What?”  _ Nicole asked, stopping right next to the alley and throwing an arm out. “What do you want?!” 

“Tell me,” she ordered. 

“Tell you  _ what?!”  _

Waverly stepped right in front of her and looked up at her with crossed arms, the fire in her eyes almost lighting up the dark alley. “What’d you think I was gonna answer?” Nicole’s eyes widened at her. “Huh?”

“I don’t  _ know,” _ she huffed. 

“Don’t play dumb,” Waverly argued. “I know a number popped into your head. Tell me what it was.” Nicole’s brows were at her hairline and her lip was hitched as she wiggled her head around again in annoyance. “What? Was it a dollar? Or d’you think I’d go running back if he just gave me an  _ I’m sorry  _ balloon?” 

Nicole tipped her head at her. “Well,  _ I don’t know, _ Waverly! You seemed to put up with enough of his  _ shit  _ and stuck with him. How’m  _ I  _ supposed to know if you won’t be with him again already by next week?!”

Waverly’s lip twitched as angry tears bordered her eyes. She swallowed down the fire in her throat.  _ “Fuck you,”  _ she growled through her teeth. 

_ “Oo,”  _ Nicole mumbled, widening her eyes at her in faux fear. “You didn’t deny it.” 

Waverly roughly shoved her backward.  _ “Fuck you!”  _

Nicole’s face changed from testing to angry within the snap of her finger. She caught her balance and chucked her skateboard towards the wall of Shorty’s, tipping her head at her warningly as it smacked the wood and clattered upside down on the asphalt.  _ “Don’t fucking touch me.”  _

Waverly sucked in a shaky breath and threw her arms out, not even realizing what words were coming out of her mouth until they did.

And,  _ oh,  _ how they did.

“Yea, well, what if I  _ want  _ to!?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOHHHHHHHHHHH?  
> WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY???????  
> OOOHHH BOY, Y'ALL THINK SHIT'S BOUTA HIT THE FAN OR...IS A LIL SUM SUM GONNA HAPPEN??
> 
> Lmao tell us what y'all thought about this one  
> Catch ya next time


	17. When Everything Held Its Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shit happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef:  
> HEY Y'ALL, GUESS WHO'S BACK ON THEIR BULLSHIT???  
> That's right, it's me and Solace.   
> I'm tellin y'all right now, you're not ready for this chapter  
> You might need to sit down or grab a pillow to hold, idek dude  
> Anyway, don't yell at us for this being kinda short cause spoiler alert it was gonna be like 10k but that would be way too much for y'alls brains so we cut it and saved the rest for next chapter  
> anyway here's this. I'm sorry in advance
> 
> SOLACEEEEEEEEE:  
> Wassup guys, wanted to let y'all know that we have an Instagram page for this fic if you haven't already found out from Queef's other fic. It's @lookingtobelong , so go check it out for updates, details about the chapters, and a more immersive experience! (It's totally not gonna have anything you NEED to know on there, though) If y'all wanna send in some art we'd be happy to post it, and whatever suggestions you have, we're all ears!  
> Another thing I just wanted to talk about real quick was that I noticed some of y'all in the comments only give writing creds to Queef for the chaps as if it's only her fic.. I know y'all don't mean any harm but just remember I'm the co-writer, not the editor. You have me to blame when you have nothing but pain in your hearts after a really angsty chapter :) Just please remember I'm here, too, don't forget about me 🥺 👉👈

**January 28th, 2019 6:40 PM**

“Yea, well, what if I  _ want  _ to!?” 

Initially, Nicole had been ready with a comeback. She really had. There were a few different responses that were spinning through her mind. 

But that was  _ before  _ she had said  _ that.  _

And that was  _ before  _ the look of horror and shock was on Waverly’s face, letting her know that was  _ not  _ what she had wanted to say in that moment. 

Nicole shook her head around in confusion.  _ “What?”  _

Waverly’s jaw stuttered for a few seconds, but she crossed her arms with a clench of her jaw. “. . . You heard me.” 

Nicole was growing angry now, having caught on to the apparent  _ game  _ she thought the other girl was playing. “Stop  _ fucking  _ around with me, Waverly!” She could’ve sworn she heard the brunette mutter something in between the curses she could clearly hear, but she didn’t have time to decipher it. Or anything much at all. 

“I’m not fucking with you.”

Nicole rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she looked away from her. “Yes, you  _ are.  _ Since I  _ met  _ you that’s  _ all  _ you’ve done.”

She let out a huff. “I . . .”

“What?” Nicole asked, throwing her arms out.  _ “I love leading gay girls on.  _ Is that it? ‘Cause it  _ really  _ fucking seems like it, Dude. First th- the locker room, and then the elevator, and now _this?_ Plus everything in between that?” 

Waverly glared at her for a few seconds before letting out a loud huff as she stomped towards the redhead with a purpose, grabbed her by the front of the shirt, and yanked her down towards her to smash their lips together.

Nicole’s arms froze at her sides and she sucked in a quick breath. Waverly pulled back from her lips, dropping back down onto the flats of her feet as she stared up into her wide eyes that had never once closed, now watching Nicole blink a couple of times as the shock wore off. She swallowed her heartbeat that was in her throat, releasing her shirt and sliding her hand down to her stomach. “Am I leading you on _ now?” _

Nicole stared down at her and licked her lips, letting out a shaky breath when she realized that she could taste  _ Waverly  _ on them. 

Because Waverly Earp had just kissed her.

She had been consecutively dreaming about Waverly Earp kissing her  _ and maybe doing other things to her  _ for  _ far  _ too many days to be healthy now, and it had just  _ actually  _ happened. 

Like, not in one of her weird daydreams she had when she would watch her cheering from her spot on the court at basketball games or when she would do something adorable and flashes would pop through Nicole’s mind.

No, Waverly Earp had  _ actually  _ just kissed her. 

In the alley between a bar and her ex-boyfriend’s house.

So, as expected, she was standing there with wide, gay eyes staring right down into the nervous ones looking right back up at her. 

And, well . . . She couldn’t have that now.

Nicole sucked in a quick breath again, grabbing her hips and pulling her towards her as she met her lips again to kiss her back. It took a second, but Waverly’s hands moved up to cup the sides of her neck as she arched into her. Nicole turned them and walked her back, pressing her hard against the wall of Shorty’s, pushing her thumbs into her hips as she gripped them harder.

Waverly let out a breathy moan when she pulled back for air, looping an arm around Nicole’s neck and gripping her fingers into her shoulder as she pulled her even closer. Nicole kept one hand planted on her hip but moved the other up to press against the wall by her head. Waverly slipped her hand up into her hair, fisting a handful to keep Nicole’s head right where she wanted it. 

The redhead let out a groan, catching her bottom lip with her teeth and tugging on it as she met her darkened eyes. She ran her tongue over it when she released it, gripping her hip even tighter when Waverly let out a moan that she hadn’t been able to swallow down. Nicole’s stomach flip-flopped and she slipped her tongue through her still-parted lips with a low growl. 

Waverly’s breath stalled, but she regained her composure and dug her nails into the side of her neck as she swiped her tongue across Nicole’s, one of her hands falling limply against the wall when she met the metal of her tongue piercing that she had forgotten about. 

If she wasn’t done for before, she sure was now.

Waverly pulled Nicole’s head down closer to her, humming as she hooked her tongue around the ball on the top of it and tugged it towards her, grinning at the shaky breath Nicole let out when she did so. Waverly’s hand pressed against her stomach and balled up the shirt there before she slipped her hand under it and pressed against her abs, sliding her fingers down the tensed muscles. 

Nicole let out a groan, quickly pulling back, though, with the way Waverly threw her head back against the wall with a throaty moan. It wasn’t until  _ then  _ that she realized she had bucked her hips forward into her and her thigh had been pressed right in between her legs. 

Waverly met Nicole’s eyes and slipped both hands back up to her cheeks to pull her back in, but Nicole wrapped her fingers around her wrists, pulling them gently yet with purpose to rest with hers in between their still heaving chests. 

“Wa-Waves,” Nicole breathed out, common sense now rooting itself back into her head. 

“No-“ Waverly still lunged forward desperately, hungry for more. 

“Waverly,” Nicole said a bit more firmly this time, pushing her back a bit. 

_“What?”_ she huffed rather impatiently, looking between Nicole’s darkened brown eyes and her swollen pink lips. 

“We can’t-” Nicole shook her head as she let out a breath. “We shouldn’t.” Backing up a bit more, Nicole dropped Waverly’s hands and let her own fall limply back to her sides. 

Waverly really couldn’t believe it. This was everything she’d been wanting for  _ so long _ , and of course it wouldn’t happen. It _‘couldn’t’._ “W- Why can’t we, Nic?” She pushed off the wall slightly to get just a little closer again. 

The older girl looked away, up, down,  _ anywhere  _ but those big hazel eyes that were staring sad holes into her own. “I can’t do this.” She clenched her jaw firmly, trying not to show the weakness of her entire heart sinking at her own words. “I can’t be with you like this, think abo-“

“No . . . Don’t say anymore.” Waverly took her turn to lock her jaw as tears stung her eyes.  _ “Now  _ who’s leading people on?” 

“What?” The redhead looked back to those damned eyes that didn’t know they owned her. 

Nothing but embarrassment and anger fell from the very lips that were busy doing the very sweet opposite moments ago. “What is it then, Nicole? Am I not your type?”

_ “What?” _ Nicole asked breathlessly.

“Am I not  _ enough _ for you to hook up with? 

“What are you even-” Nicole shook her head around.  _ “What?!”  _

“I thought you go for girls that throw themselves at you. The ones that drool on your  _ tattoos  _ and  _ love  _ how tall you are _. _ It seemed to  _ me  _ you didn’t  _ have _ standards . . . But I guess you do, huh?” She waited for an answer, but Nicole did not give her one. “Well, I’m sorry I’m not like  _ Poppy _ or  _ Tori _ . I guess I have to be a little more  _ loose _ for you!” 

“You’re right,” Nicole mumbled, locking her jaw and speaking basically through her teeth. “You’re not like Poppy.  _ Or  _ Victoria. You’re not.” She stepped a nudge closer to where her clenched jaw was level with the shorter girl’s eyes. “You’re  _ Waverly.  _ My best fuckin’ friend's  _ baby sister. _ ”

“But I’m not a  _ baby! _ Not anymore. I’m older now. And capable of making my own  _ damn  _ decisions and knowing what I want.” 

“Oh, I know you are,  _ trust me _ . But I am, too. And I decided no matter  _ how much _ I wanted that-  _ this, _ I want my best friend, too.” 

“Well,  _ congrats, _ Nicole. You got what you wanted. ‘Cause you’ve still got Wynonna.” That sentence was pointed  _ specifically  _ and for a reason. It was to leave Nicole reeling; how did such a perfect moment end like  _ this? _

“Good.” 

“Fine.” 

“Yep.”

“Mhm.” 

Waverly let out a shaky breath as she pushed away from the wall, scoffing and muttering under her breath as she used her sleeve to wipe her mouth off. She shook her head, looking back at her as she stopped halfway out of the alley. “Find your own  _ fucking  _ way home.” 

The redhead watched as she disappeared around the corner, waiting until she was sure she was out of sight to allow her lip to wobble. She bit either side of her cheeks, letting out a fiery hot breath as she trudged over to her skateboard laying on the asphalt by the wall and grabbed it. She flicked the hood of her jacket over her head and turned out of the alley, not even daring to look behind her as she dropped the board and jumped on it, heading down the sidewalk at full speed in the direction of the school where she knew her car was still sitting. 

Waverly watched from the front seat of her jeep as she went, waiting until she was only a dot in the distance to trust her hands not to shake enough to get herself home safely. 

**7:09 PM**

Waverly shut the jeep off and jumped out of the front seat, already knowing that Nicole wasn’t back yet considering that her car still wasn’t there. She swallowed the lump in her throat, heading towards the Homestead and pushing the door open, slamming it closed behind her. 

“Break my door ‘n your gettin’ whooped,” Gus grumbled from the couch, doing a double-take and realizing that it was Waverly instead of Wynonna. “Hey- Waverly?”

Waverly completely ignored her, keeping her eyes that were burning with unshed tears forward as she went straight for the stairs. She stiffened at the hand that caught her arm, turning towards her aunt, who had worried eyes locked on her. “Where’d you just come from, Hon?” 

“Leave me be,” she grumbled, pulling her arm out of her grip and heading up. 

“I asked you a question, Waverly,” she said a little more sternly as she grabbed her arm again. “Ain’t none of us knew where the hell you ran off to.” 

“I said leave me  _ be,  _ Gus,” she huffed, trying to keep the shake from her voice. 

_ “Waverly-”  _

“Leave me  _ alone!”  _ Waverly pulled her arm from her grip and ran up the stairs, not even bothering to look back at the hurt and anger on her aunt’s face. She turned down the hall and headed straight for her room, only stopping when she went to close her door and a hand pressing against it stopped her.

“Babygirl.” 

Waverly’s jaw locked and unlocked as she immediately avoided Wynonna’s eyes as she continued to try and shut the door. “Go away.” 

“Fish texted me that you tried to find Nic,” she said, ignoring her attempts to get her away from her room. “D’you find her?” 

“Go  _ away,  _ Wynonna,” Waverly hissed out, meeting her eyes with watery ones as she tried to close her out of her room. “I’m serious.” 

“Dude,  _ what?”  _ Wynonna huffed, obviously very confused as to why she was so upset. 

_ “Wynonna, go!”  _ Waverly snapped, pulling the door open just enough to shove her backward before going to slam it shut. 

“Hey!” Wynonna pushed it right back open with tightly furrowed brows. “What the  _ hell  _ did I do to you, huh?” 

Waverly roughly shoved her back.  _ “Get the fuck out, Wynonna!” _ She finally slammed the door shut with a tearful groan, locking it shut. She covered her hand over her mouth to keep the noise that tried to escape in, closing her eyes and walking over to her bed with wobbly legs. She dropped down onto her mattress and slid under the covers, grabbing the grey teddy bear she had always slept with since she was a baby and clutching it to her chest, finally letting the tears she had been holding in since she left that  _ fucking  _ alley fall. 

And they fell  _ hard.  _

Her sobs into the bear were almost loud enough that she didn’t hear the scrape of a key against her bedroom door several minutes later. 

But she did hear it.

She opened her eyes and held her breath as she listened to whoever it was that opened her door and walked in her room. She relaxed a little when she immediately recognized who the footsteps belonged to and the weight of the person that took a seat on the edge of her bed. 

A hand touched the side of Waverly’s thigh with a gentle squeeze. “Havin’ a rough night, Pumpkin?” Waverly turned her head, looking up into her uncle’s soft eyes and feeling her walls break down once again. She sucked in a stuttered breath and flipped over, gently tugging at his wrist to pull him closer to her. “Oh, Sweetheart,” he mumbled, toeing off his boots before laying down next to her and wrapping his arm around her tightly when she curled right into his chest. 

Curtis’ legs were far too long for her bed- or any bed for that matter, but he did not mind one bit as he slowly pulled his fingers through his niece’s hair, speaking softly to her as she cried into his chest  _ just  _ like he used to when she was younger. 

And he continued to do so until she wore herself out enough to fall asleep, one hand gripping his shirt and the other her bear. 

Wynonna pushed off her sister’s door frame with a sigh, running a hand through her hair as she slowly walked downstairs with her hands shoved deep into her sweatpants pockets. Whenever her little sister was hurt like this, she went into Amazon warrior mode. Like, on some  _ Xena Warrior Princess _ type shit. So, as the good big sister she was, she was already planning to find out  _ who and what _ was behind it so she could make their three-dimensional face look a whole lot more like a  _ two.  _

With a grumble, the older sister had made her way down the steps rather gruffly and sauntered into the kitchen where her aunt was pouring herself a shot of some type of light brown glass of regret. “Any chance you’ll pass me that bottle?” 

_ “No.” _

“Figured as much.” Wynonna scrunched her face up and made her way to the cabinet with all the other liquid regret and grabbed a different bottle for herself anyway.  _ “Booze hog.”  _

Her aunt turned rather calmly to look at her as she popped open a bottle of her honey whiskey. Her expression was one of almost boredom as she was unphased by her niece’s acts of delinquency by now. “If you finish my special bottle you got in that hand right there I’m makin’ you scrub the toilets at Shorty’s ‘till you can afford to get me a new one.” 

“Fair enough.” There was a loaded pause before she spoke again to interrupt the silent swigs they were participating in. “. . . You think it was Champ?” 

“Better  _ not’ve  _ been. I would personally see to it that the boy’s head was on a  _ platter  _ if it was.” 

“I don’t think I even need to ask any questions, I’ve decided he’s guilty. Pretty boy’s gotta find something else to get him by in life ‘cause come tomorrow his look ain’t gonna get him through.” There was a wicked glint in the eldest Earp’s eye that would’ve scared anyone else, but Gus was more than used to it. 

_ “No, _ Wynonna. You ain’t no judge, jury, ‘n executioner. And we don’t know if  _ he  _ is why. I know the boy ain’t that smart, but I’m sure he cares enough about himself not to mess with Waverly again. Not unless he wants a shotgun shoved up where the sun don’t shine.” The older woman took a big swig out of her bottle for an almost dramatic accent. 

“I just can’t see it  _ not _ being that jackass. I’ve never seen Waves this upset over something in a long time.” 

“Not since Daisy the cow,” Gus mumbled in agreement. 

“She tasted good though . . . Shorty cooks a  _ mean  _ steak.” Gus shot a glare towards her.  _ “What? _ He does!”

“She doesn’t know we  _ ate ‘er, _ Wynonna. Keep your mouth shut on that one . . . Anyway, even if that were true, we gotta remember no matter  _ how  _ much she’s grown in so many ways, she’s still young. A  _ teenage  _ girl. Them hormones are kickin’ and ragin’ somethin' _awful.”_

“I’d rather not think about my baby sister and her horny-mones.” 

“Language, Nonna!” Gus shook her head at her as she took another swig.

Almost on cue, the door opened again, though this time it was softly, almost unsure. The tall girl with fiery locks hidden under a hood appeared, and her face was sufficiently covered so no one could see how puffy and red her eyes were. 

Well, she was _trying_ to cover it, at least.

Gus looked at her watch. “Two hours and 10 minutes saved ‘fore I would’ve came and found ya to whoop your ass.” 

“Sorry, Gus.” Nicole mumbled softly. 

“Oh jeez, not another one,” Wynonna grumbled, shooting back another shot’s worth of whiskey. She clocked the other girl’s crying aftermath from a mile away. “Are you gonna explain Haught’s horny-mones to me, too, Gus?” 

“Wynonna,  _ please _ stop sayin’ it like that,” Gus pleaded rather disgustedly. She turned her attention to the taller girl. “What’s wrong, Hun?” 

Nicole shook her head softly. “Nothin’, Gus. I’m okay.” 

_ Liar. _

“I know what happened today was probably a shock to ya, Darlin’. But you rest assured ‘cause I’m on that school like a  _ hawk. _ They’re gonna regret  _ ever  _ doin’ you like that.” 

“Yeah, Haught Shit, Don’t worry. Gus is gonna have their ass n-“

“ _ Lan-gu-age, Wynonna!”  _ Gus chastised angrily. 

“Sorry,” Wynonna mumbled, leaning back against the counter. 

Nicole shifted uncomfortably on her feet as she looked between the two. “. . . Don’t stress it, Gus. I appreciate it, I do, but I’m used to it. Not being respected is kinda my thing.” 

“Well, it ain’t no more,” she said matter of factly. 

The sound of soft footsteps creaked into the kitchen where Curtis appeared with a certain little boy half-asleep held to his shoulder with one arm. “Sorry to interrupt y’all, but this one heard Nic come home and wanted to see ‘er before he went to bed.” 

Nicole smiled softly as she met Curtis halfway to take her younger brother into her own arms. “Hey there, Buggy Boy. What’re ya going to bed at 8 PM for? You’ve still got an hour. Is old man  _ goes to bed at 6 _ Curtis rubbin’ off on ya?”

“I heard Wavey come in crying and wanted to check on her, so I went in and cuddled with her when Uncle Curtis went out. I think she was sleepin’, so it made me sleepy,” he mumbled half-coherently into her shoulder. 

Nicole’s heart  _ sank _ right to her feet, half with grief and half with pride. She was proud of her brother for having the biggest heart she’s ever seen and wanting to comfort Waverly but absolutely  _ destroyed  _ because she knew  _ she  _ was to blame for her being upset in the first place. It was almost as if Nash was cleaning up  _ her _ mess this time. 

“That was awfully kind of you, Bug.” She pressed a soft kiss to his head as he snuggled more into her shoulder. 

Curtis smiled at the sight as his heart also swelled with pride. “I found ‘em all curled up next to Waverly after I got up to use the bathroom. Them two were passed out soundly. It was quite the sight.” 

Nicole smiled a little as she looked down at her brother again. “Thank you, Curtis.” Nicole turned to Gus and Wynonna, too. “Y’all, too. For everything.” 

_ “Alright _ there, Haught Pocket. Don’t go all Hallmark on me.” The brunette was teasing her despite how her eyes were full of love. 

The redhead rolled her eyes playfully. “I’m gonna go put him down to sleep again. I’ll probably stay with him, too, so no need to keep the door unlocked.” She gave them all one last smile before turning towards the stairs “Night, everyone.” 

Gus and Curtis muttered their good nights as well as the two made their way up Nash’s room, and Wynonna pushed off the counter to grab Gus’ bottle she was hogging. “Nighty night, Red Haught. I love ya.” She surprised not only herself but Nicole, too. She never just  _ casually  _ said the ‘L’ word. She never really said it unless she really meant it, thought she was gonna die, or was talking to Waverly. 

“I love you too, Earp,” Nicole said with a smile, too exhausted to rag on her for that right now, though tomorrow was another day. 

**January 29th, 2019 6:00 AM**

Nicole’s eyes opened when the collective sound of three different alarms throughout the rooms around her went off. She reached over Nash with a groan and plucked her phone off the nightstand. She shut the alarm off, letting out a sleepy huff as she wrapped her arm back around her brother who was pressed to her front, tugging the blankets higher on them. She felt the tapping on her chest before her tired brain deciphered that it was the 20s Nash was tapping against her, and she let out a sigh as she looked down at him in the dim lighting of the room. “You ok, Buggy?” 

Nash finished off one last 20 before letting his hand lay flat against her chest, his tired eyes being pulled shut again. “Sleepy.” 

She ran her hand up and down his pajama shirt-covered back. “Me, too,” she spoke through a yawn. “That it, though?”

He looked up at her, almost able to meet her eyes as he answered, “. . . What happened with you and Wavey last night?” 

Nicole’s eyes went hard within the snap of a finger, and Nash pulled his head back a bit, not knowing what kind of reaction was going to be coming out of her next. She let out a puff of air as she rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “Nothing, Bug.” 

“I don’t want you sad,” he mumbled, sitting upright as the older redhead did. “I don’t want either of you sad, but you both was last night.” 

“Were,” Nicole mumbled as she grabbed her glasses off the nightstand and pushed them onto her face before climbing off the bed. 

“What?” he asked in confusion, grabbing his own so he could see her when she walked across the room and pulled the blinds open. 

“We both  _ were  _ sad, not  _ was  _ sad.” 

He let out a little huff, “Coley-” 

“Bug,” Nicole sighed as she turned around, grabbing her pants and jacket that she had taken off the night before and throwing the pants into his hamper and the jacket onto the bed. "I don't wanna talk about it, ok?" 

Nash's brows stayed furrowed, but he let out a sigh and nodded. "Whatever you say." 

Nicole dug around in his drawer, finding a pair of boxers she had left in there for nights she stayed in his room and grabbing them out. "And I say go jump on Nonna so she'll get her ass movin'. Make sure she's downstairs by the time I get outta the shower."  She looked over her shoulder with a smirk, shaking her head at the shitty grin that was on her brother's face before he quickly rushed out of the room to do so. She let out a sigh as she headed out of the room and turned towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. 

The sight of Waverly trudging half asleep out of it almost made her cower back into the room out of fear, though. 

Nicole probably would have, too, but Waverly looked up and paused everything she was doing, staring right back at her. They locked eyes for a few seconds before Waverly averted her gaze to her feet as she continued forward, hoping that she could just walk past her and that would be that. 

Nicole stuck her arm out, though, pressing it against the wall to the right of her and blocking her path. Her eyes snapped up to meet brown and she swallowed as Nicole stared down at her, gritting her teeth for a few seconds. ". . . Gimme my clothes." 

"What?" she asked in confusement.

"My clothes," Nicole repeated in that low and even tone she had used the first round. "The shit you mentioned that was in your room yesterday." 

Waverly rolled her eyes, letting out a huff as she ducked under her arm and slipped past her, heading into her room and closing the door behind her. Nicole glared towards it, turning around and taping her fist against it once. "Waverly, I need to  _ shower  _ and I don't wanna have to go out to the bar-" __

The door opened again, and her sweatpants and t-shirt were thrown towards her before the door was closed again. Nicole looked down at them, seeing just the red and black tie-dye shirt and Nike sweatpants that she had mentioned before. Nicole looked back up at the closed door, swallowing a little. ". . . Thank you." 

"Mhm." 

She turned and trudged down the hall to the bathroom, dropping her armful of clothes onto the sink and turning the shower on. Nicole stripped the shirt she had kept on along with everything else, letting out a heavy breath as she leaned her palms against the edge of the sink and stared up at herself in the mirror. She lifted one hand and nudged her glasses up some as she ran a finger over the purple bruise under her eye, the swelling and bruising still present on her face only proving more so that the person staring back at her in the mirror wasn't herself. 

Because  _ Nicole Haught  _ was the heartbreaker. 

But now she was the heartbroken one.

She wasn't quite used to the empty feeling in her chest. Sure, she had felt it before after losing people. 

But that was  _ actually  _ losing people. Like . . .with death and shit. 

Not someone that she could literally get to within 10 long strides from where she was. 

Nicole quickly shook her head, pulling her glasses off and setting them on the counter, knocking her clothes off the sink when she turned to head towards the shower. She caught the pile with a huff and grabbed onto the shirt with her teeth so she could actually  _ fold  _ the pants and set them down instead of having it all in, well, a pile. 

She paused, though, slowly raising her eyes back up to herself in the mirror as she set the pants down and grabbed the shirt from her mouth. She turned and leaned back against the cold counter of the sink, closing her eyes tightly as she brought the shirt up to her face and inhaled.

_ Her fucking shirt  _ smelled  _ exactly  _ like Waverly Earp. 

There was a pretty simple answer to that question, though Nicole was none the wiser of it. 

See, when Waverly had gone into her room and shut the door on her, it wasn't  _ just  _ to make her think that she had been ignoring her. 

No. 

Really it had just been a cover-up because she did _not_ want to deal with whatever the outcome of Nicole watching her go to her bed and grab the shirt- _her_ shirt that she had gotten up at 3 AM and searched for in hopes that sleeping with it would keep the nightmares of losing that _dickface_ of a redhead away. 

Because that's  _ totally  _ what  _ normal _ people had dreams about of course. 

Ya know,  _ losing  _ someone you never even had to begin with. 

Waverly continued trudging around her room, getting some clean clothes for the day on and throwing her hair up into a messy bun before shoving her socked feet into Birkenstocks and heading out of her room. She furrowed her brow as she passed Wynonna’s room, peeking her head in when she heard giggling coming from inside. A soft smile pushed onto her face when she saw Wynonna with her arms and legs wrapped around Nash, clinging to him like a koala.

“Nonna!” Nash laughed. “You’re squishing me!” 

“Squiiiiiiiish!” Wynonna said as she hugged her limbs around him even tighter. 

Waverly kicked her shoes off by the door, pushing it open more and walking in. She jumped on the bed over Wynonna and managed to wrap herself around her back  _ just  _ like she was doing to Nash. 

_ “Oh no-”  _

“Wavey!” Nash wiggled out of Wynonna’s grip finally and crawled over her, trying to fit himself in the space between the sisters. 

“Ow- Ok!” Waverly laughed, letting go of her and rolling to her back with the little redhead on her lap. 

“I like that,” Nash mumbled.

“Like what?” 

Nash pushed at her cheeks. “You gotta smile on your face.” 

Waverly’s face softened and she rubbed her thumbs on his knees. “I guess falling asleep with a tiny redhead heater on my chest helped me out a bit.” 

“You coulda had a hot,  _ hot  _ brunette, too, but  _ noo.”  _

Waverly looked towards Wynonna and let out a sigh as she saw the smallest bit of pain still lingering in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

“For being a Moody Judy or for almost causing me injury?”

Waverly threw her a look as she pursed her lips. “. . . Both.” 

Wynonna gave her a smile, smacking her shoulder. “Well, I forgive you. I’ve done worse to you anyway.” 

“Yea, like when you-”

Wynonna sat up, letting out a huff, “Ok, I didn’t say I needed  _ examples.”  _

“Nonna!” Nash groaned, pushing at her back after climbing off of Waverly. “Coley said you had to be up before she got out of the shower.”

“Your  _ Coley’s _ not my keeper,” she grumbled as she got up and walked over to her closet, staring at it with her hands on her hips. “Little Dude, pick out my clothes, I don’t wanna.”

Nash let out a loud gasp as he jumped off the bed with a clap and rushed to her side. “Oh,  _ heck  _ yea.” 

Waverly leaned back against the wall the side of Wynonna’s bed was against, watching with a small smile as Nash sorted through her clothes like the  _ true  _ fashionista he was. He would pull something out and hold it up to Wynonna before shaking his head or letting out a groan as he shoved it back into the closet. 

After a few minutes, it seemed like he had finally reached a consensus, and Wynonna quickly pulled everything on. She closed her closet and looked in the mirror on the back of the door, wiggling her brows as she looked down at Nash.  _ “Damn,  _ ok.” 

Nash had forced her into a dark grey crop top, some black skinny jeans that had a rip on the knee that  _ definitely  _ wasn’t there when she got them, and her combat boots. He grabbed her arm and yanked her down to his level, hanging a black fanny pack over her right shoulder and under her left arm, then handing her a red and black flannel to pull on opened over it all.  _ “There.”  _

Wynonna looked back into the mirror, raising her brows as she looked back down at him. “Is the fanny pack necessary?”

“The fanny pack is  _ always  _ necessary,” Nash huffed in offense. 

"Man's got a point," Waverly mumbled with a chuckle. 

"Mhm." He threw his arm out towards Waverly. "See, and she's  _ allowed _ to say so 'cause she actually  _ knows  _ how to dress herself." 

"So do I!" Wynonna complained. 

"No, you  _ don't!"  _ he argued. "Nonna, a leather jacket don't go with  _ everything,  _ I'm sorry." 

"You take that back," she grumbled. 

"It's the truth." 

_ "Boy-"  _

Nash let out a shriek, running away from her when she came at him. "No!" 

Wynonna grabbed a hold of him and threw him over her shoulder. "Alright, child. Let's go. I'm gonna go bury you in the snow we got last night until you apologize." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at us below 🙃  
> Hey, lucky you guys, since we have more written already, y'all get an upload quicker than you have been recently! (That's also why this cut is kinda weird, but you can deal)
> 
> Don't forget to check out our Insta @lookingtobelong ! See y'all there!


	18. Drunk on Just Plain Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will there be more angst? Will there be a resolution? Well, you waited two damn months for this shit, so c'mon and find out!  
> (read beginning notes for tw)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queeferino: yo been a bit, but wASSUP  
> Pray for me 'cause I'm pretty sure I failed my math test today hahahahahahaha....  
> We're just not gonna talk about the fact that I jinxed it and said in the end notes of last chap that there would be a quicker upload for the next chap lmaoooo IT'S HERE NOW SO IT DOESN'T MATTER  
> Anyway
> 
> TW: Heavy descriptions of violence and/or death  
> Whoops?...  
> Sorry not sorry  
> A lot of shit happens, so some of y'all might wanna take some notes as you read 😂
> 
> Solace: Friends,  
> To say that this has been a fucked couple of months would be a massive understatement. I know you are tired of my mental health breaks, so if y’all are still here, I love and appreciate you so much. As you all probably know, the second big wave but technically third surge of Covid-19 is arriving FAST. Not only am I still part-time at the grocery store I was at for the first one, but I now also work for a hospital. I’m not a medical professional, but I provide the medical nationals with all of their necessary materials. It is only getting to be a more difficult and stressful time, so I apologize in defense as I don’t know how consistent I’ll be able to keep these updates. On a personal note, I have been struggling mentally a lot these past few months so much so that I am almost called the hotline. I’m not sharing this for sympathy, I'm sharing this as an exclamation and an apology because we promised we were back and then fucked it all up and I’m sorry.  
> On some other news, at least the state where I live legalized pot for 21 and older and I just had my 21st birthday. So woohoo. Anyways I’d say enjoy this chapter because we’re back but I have a feeling you wish we didn’t come back....😈

**January 29th, 2019 6:31 AM**

Nicole spit the mouthwash into the sink and stood back up straight. She threw all of the things she had gotten out back into the cabinets and closed them up, grabbing her clothes wrapped up in her towel and shutting the light off as she walked out of the bathroom. She dropped it all in her brother's hamper and grabbed her jacket and shoes, sitting down on the bed to put them on before pulling the jacket on and shoving her hands in the pockets as she slowly headed down the stairs, having thrown the strap of her satchel over her shoulder. 

She had already heard the voices coming from the kitchen while she was up there, so it was no shock that Wynonna, Nash, and Waverly were in there. 

What _was_ a shock, though, was how Nicole glanced towards Waverly and watched her set a plate of waffles in front of her brother. 

She clenched her jaw as she moved through the kitchen on autopilot, grabbing a mug out of the cabinet and filling it with coffee. She didn't even bother to check how hot it had been in the pot before chugging down. 

“Damn, Haught Pants likes it Haught apparently,” Wynonna mumbled. 

Nicole threw her a look over her shoulder. “Depending on what it is, yes.” 

Wynonna tipped her head at her. “Well, I know you like a little-” she stepped out of Nash’s view and humped the air, _“Haught._ I’ve heard plenty of _that.”_

She scrunched her face at her, not missing the way Waverly rolled her eyes. “Please don’t ever do that again,” Nicole mumbled. 

“What?” Wynonna asked with a laugh. “That’s not what you were implying?” 

“No, I meant, like . . . _food.”_

“I mean, you _could say-_ ” 

_“Don’t,”_ Nicole grumbled, washing the cup out and setting it in the dish rack. She walked over to her brother and pushed her hand through his hair gently. “Hey, you cool with riding with Wynonna to school today?” 

Nash looked up at her with furrowed brows, and Wynonna let out a scoff. “I am _not_ a taxi, Dude.” 

_“Cole,”_ Nash whined. “You always come to the playground with me on Fridays before school, though.”

“I know, Buggy. We’ll go on Monday to make up for it, ok?”

Nash let out a sad sigh with a nod. “Fine.” 

“Why can’t you drive him?” Wynonna asked. 

Nicole looked towards her, pausing for a second when she realized she really didn’t have an answer. “. . . I've got stuff to do." 

"Who- I mean, _what_ stuff d'you gotta do?" Wynonna asked with a smirk, and Nicole threw her another glare. Wynonna huffed, "What's your deal, Dude? I'm trying to get you out of a bad mood." 

"I don't think it's that simple, Nonna," Nicole sighed with a shrug. "Sorry." 

Wynonna pouted her lip at her, walking over to her with her arms out and wrapping them around her middle. "Huggies for Haughty," she mumbled, giving her a tight squeeze. 

Nicole let out a sigh, throwing her arms around her neck and swallowing as she dropped her chin to her shoulder. She closed her eyes as she took a second to _actually_ relax. ". . . Since when do _we_ hug?" 

"Since you looked like you need one.”

Nicole smiled just the tiniest bit, squeezing her a little tighter and fisting her hand into the flannel on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, flicking them over to Waverly at the table and watching her staring down at her fork as she picked at the pieces of fruit in the bowl in front of her with it. Nicole pulled away from Wynonna, giving her a nod when there was question in her eyes. She gave her arm a smack as she moved past her and dropped her hand to her brother’s shoulder. “I’m goin’, alright?”

“Alright,” Nash mumbled. 

Nicole leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, pushing her hand through his hair again. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” 

“Be good today, ok?”

“I will,” he promised. “Bye, Coley.” 

“Bye, Buggy,” she sighed, pressing one last kiss to the top of his head before turning towards the front door. She walked outside and saw Gus shoveling the snow off the front porch, giving her a small smile. “I’m leaving.” 

“To where?” she questioned, leaning the shovel against the house and walking a few steps closer to her.

Nicole gripped her hand around the strap of her satchel, shrugging a little. “I just wanna drive around for a bit.”

Gus tipped her head at her, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Ya mean get away from Waverly?” 

Nicole widened her eyes at her and _was_ going to protest against it, but then she remembered how it seemed that woman knew just about _everything,_ so there was no point to it. She clenched her jaw with a little shrug as she decided to plead the fifth. “Just . . . gonna go for a drive.”

Gus let out a sigh, stepping another step towards her and giving her arm a squeeze. “Whatever ya need to do, Darlin’.” Nicole nodded, going to turn away, but Gus kept a hold of her arm, so she looked back at her in question. “Are ya makin’ me haul that brother of yours to school again?”

“No, he’s hanging out with Nonna and- with them in there, so she’s driving him.”

“Alright then.” Gus let go of her arm, crossing her own back in front of her chest. “You go on then.” 

Nicole nodded, turning with a smile. “See ya, Gus.” 

“And Nicole?”

She looked back towards her. “Hm?” 

“I’m tellin’ Waverly too, but If y’all two don’t figure _whatever this problem is_ out by tonight, I’m sittin’ ya both down and makin’ ya do it the hard way. I’m not havin’ the two of ya’s mopin’ around all weekend long for no damn good reason.”

Nicole locked and unlocked her jaw a few times as she slowly nodded. “. . . Ok.” Gus smiled that warm smile with a nod of her head before turning back to the snow on the porch and letting the redhead head off to _wherever it was_ that she was planning on going.

Her car door slammed as she settled into the freezing cold driver's seat, starting her old clunker up immediately to blast the heat. Her mind forced her to take the few minutes before her vehicle was operable to focus on everything at once.

_“You and Waverly gotta figure out whatever this problem is.”_ Gus’ words echoed in her already spinning head. 

_“. . . What happened with you and Wavey last night?”_ Nash’s innocent voice mixed into the chaos.

“What _did_ happen with Waverly last night?” Nicole muttered aloud. _‘That was dumb’_ she thought, for she had known what happened. _Magic._ What she’s been wanting for _so long_. And she had fucked it all up. Tears stung her eyes as they welled up in her tear ducts, half because of the pure emotion she was feeling and half because of the intoxicating smell of Waverly that was wafting from her clothes. 

No. She couldn't let it happen like this. She had to tell Waverly everything she felt, even if it didn’t make a damn bit of difference. Even if it blew up in her face in the end. Nicole Haught was never the Heartbroken, always the Heartbreaker. Alas, here she was, though, heartbroken and helpless, feeling as if a war was raging between her heart and head. 

As the car finally warmed up enough to safely drive, Nicole reached a decision. Was it probably dumb? Yes. Was she completely unsure on how it was gonna go? You bet. Was she sure as hell it was gonna backfire and blow up in her face _badly_ ? For sure. Was she still gonna do it? _With gusto._

She gripped the steering wheel as she put the car in drive and made her way out of the archway of the Earp Homestead with one goal in her mind: She was gonna tell Waverly how fucking _crazy_ she was about her, and fingers fucking crossed that it didn't cause hell to break loose. 

**8:08 AM**

After a particularly fun morning with Wynonna and Nash in the freshly snow-covered playground, the youngest Earp made her way through the crowded morning halls. She had a weird mix of joy and absolute _dread_ churning in her stomach, which made for an interesting combo to try and smile and wave through. _All_ she wanted to do was get to her locker, grab her books, and mentally check out before she caught sight of the certain asshole redhead who was single-handedly the reason Waverly felt like projectile vomiting all over her passing peers. 

Going through the motions of the morning, the brunette paid no attention to her surroundings or who was _in_ them as she breezed through her locker combo, swung open the door, and dug through her books and binders. It came as no surprise that she was completely unaware of the tall, gawky, and slim figure that now stood staring at her through the slits of her locker door. In fact, she was none the wiser until she went to close it and nearly jumped out of her skin. 

“Tucker!” she yelped in surprise. “Jeez, you scared me!” She placed a hand over her racing heart. 

“I’m sorry, Waverly. I never mean to cause you any distress. Ever.” The odd boy’s eyes stayed trained on the beautiful cheerleader in front of him, never daring to blink once and miss a second of the vision. 

“What- uh, whatcha need?” Still nervous, Waverly tried her best to play off her nerves and be her normal friendly self as she placed one hand as casually as possible on her locker door, the other clutching her backpack strap that was over her shoulder with white knuckles. 

“I heard you and Champ broke up. I’m so sorry.” 

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she forced a flash of her teeth in a smile. “I appreciate that, Tucker. Thank you. I’m okay though, I actually ended it. He jus-“

“Wasn’t what you needed?” The not so subtle hope and yearning in his voice absolutely made her skin crawl. 

Waverly slowly nodded, “. . . Something like that. He was just a jerk and I’m worth better.” 

“Yes, you are," he nodded fervently. “So much more. Which is why I came by, I wanted to see if you wanted to-“ 

“Hey, Waves.” Nicole’s sweet yet firm voice _should’ve_ been like bullets to her heart. It _should’ve_ uneased her more than the creepy boy standing hauntingly over her. It _should’ve_ been the absolute _last_ thing the girl wanted to hear right now.

So _why_ did she feel a sudden surge of relief and security when it met her eardrums? 

“Oh, is this a bad time?” The redhead sounded almost timid to her hardass, _absolutely will beat your face in without thinking twice_ ways, though it was not noticeable enough for the boy standing there. 

Tucker moved his adoring gaze from the shorter girl up to the taller girl with a hardened glare. How _dare_ she interrupt him as he won over his lady that he had waited so patiently for? “Yes it is, actually,” Tucker answered harshly. He was met with a hardened look from the taller girl with a hint of . . . _protectiveness?_

“No, uh, actually Tucker was just leaving. He has to get to his homeroom, right, Tuck?” As much as she didn’t want to be alone with the taller girl, she would much more prefer _that_ than to be around the creepy Gardner for a minute longer. 

Tucker’s expression melted back into a twisted version of a helpless puppy dog look before he headed away. Of course, he wouldn’t leave without leaving his mark, however. Standing a bit too close to Waverly and right in front of Nicole, he reminded, “Don’t forget, Waves. I’ll always be here to comfort you if you do start to feel bad about your breakup. You’ll always have me to turn to.” Waverly nodded him off as politely as she could, and he shoved his shoulder into Nicole _accidentally_ as he pushed through the crowded hallways to disappear into the crowd. 

“I’m gonna choose to ignore your _friend_ and his nice little shoulder check.” Nicole glared nowhere particular into the student mess in the halls where he vanished. 

After sighing in relief to have escaped that awkward boy, Waverly now was able to turn her attention _and anger_ towards Nicole. “What do you want, Nicole?” Her voice was sharp enough to cut the other girl which had to have shown in Nicole’s eyes with the pain that she could see in them. It softened Waverly’s demeanor slightly, but she still held her ground. 

“I uh, I wanted to tell you something.” The stuttering, unsure mess that was currently standing in her place was definitely _not_ what Nicole planned and practiced in her car _and_ in her head on the walk over to Waverly’s locker, but it’s what was here, so she just had to roll with it. 

“What?” Waverly’s words were still short and painful. 

“Last night . . . You told me how you felt. About me- or at least about what we did-“

“And _you_ did, too. You told me how much of a _mistake_ it was and how much you _regretted_ it!” 

Nicole slowly shook her head. “No. No, I didn’t.” 

_“Yes._ Yes, you _quite literally did_.” 

Nicole huffed, running a hand down her face as she looked away from her for a second. "That's not- _Dammit,_ Waverly. I _knew_ you weren’t going to make this easy.” 

“Make _what_ easy, Nicole?” She raised a brow in anger, already starting to square her jaw as she crossed her arms. 

She couldn’t help but sneak looks at those cursed lips she once felt on her own, though. 

“You told me how you felt. That you wanted last night to happen, but you never asked me. Sure, I told you my . . . _thoughts_ on it at that time, but I never said how I felt.” Nicole was searching the other girl’s eyes, hoping to find that she understood what she was starting to say. Sadly, it wasn’t there. 

“I’m pretty sure I _know_ how you feel.” 

Nicole cocked a brow in an almost challenge as she cracked a small, hopeful smile, leaning her hip against the lockers beside her. “Well, why don’t you go ahead 'n ask me to make sure, Darlin’?”

The new pet name definitely should _not_ have made Waverly’s knees weak, but here she was, feeling as if they were going to buckle out from under her. She visibly swallowed hard as she began to speak. _“Fine._ How do you feel about last night, Nicole? About me?” 

Nicole knew it was now or never. All or nothing. “Honestly . . .” She choked out her first word and that was a _great start_ , but she cleared her throat, looking down for only a second to keep her voice from cracking with nerves again. “I’m fucking _crazy_ about you, Waverly Earp, and it absolutely _terrifies_ me to say that. Last night was everything I’ve wanted for a long ass time, and something I dreamed about for _just_ as long.” Her eyes were wide as she anticipated what Waverly was going to say. To say she wore her heart on her sleeve for this moment would be a _ginormous_ understatement. She put her whole life on the line for this proclamation. For this truth. 

Waverly took a moment to process the only _slight_ word vomit, which of course felt like a soul-crushing eternity to the redhead, and she already was preparing for rejection. “. . . If we weren’t standing in the middle of a hallway crowded with potential snitches and homophobes, I would kiss you again.” Waverly had spoken very shakily with tears that lined her waterline from joy and fear- Fear that this was another set up for heartbreak by the older girl. That subsided a little, of course, when she visibly saw the relief wash over Nicole as her own eyes suddenly dampened. 

“Wow.” 

“Uh-huh,” Waverly mumbled with a smile. A _real_ smile. For the first time since the night before. “You’re being serious, right?” 

“As serious as I could ever be,” Nicole assured as she smiled in return. “. . . Could I give you a hug?” she asked timidly. 

Without answering, Waverly launched herself forward into the taller girl’s arms, throwing her arms around her neck and holding as tight as she could without strangling her. Her body fully relaxed and tensed in _certain_ places as she felt one of the muscled arms snake around her waist and slightly up her back as the other hand found its way gently into her hair. Nicole’s embrace was nothing short of warm, protective, and soothing. Something Waverly was sure she’d fall addicted to. 

Nicole blew a shaky breath into the smaller girl’s shoulder where she rested her chin. They stayed like that for as long as they could until it became a target for nosy eyes as they approached ‘more than a friendly hug’ territory. Their bodies both immediately felt the absence of the other when they pulled away, and cold air engulfed the warm spots where their bodies were once connected. 

However, it was time to go back to the real world. And in the real world, no matter how much she wanted _this_ , Nicole knew it couldn’t be. “Waves,” she spoke sadly this time, a stark difference from the smitten and nervous tone from before. 

“I don’t like the tone of that,” Waverly mumbled, trying _so hard_ to deflect whatever oncoming heartbreak she felt drawing near. 

“I know,” Nicole continued, "But this can’t happen when your sister is . . . your _sister_ .” This time, there was no forced harshness. No walls she tried to hide behind. This time Nicole let the girl see how broken and vulnerable she really felt. How absolutely _devastated_ she was to say what she was saying. 

Something different came over Waverly this time when she heard that statement mix with the first bell of the morning. She wasn’t mad. She didn’t allow her heart to shatter like it did the night before. No. Instead, an almost wicked smile pushed onto her face as she walked towards Nicole, forcing her to press her back against the lockers she was standing next to. Waverly looked around to the now emptying halls as the kids were making their way to their homerooms, that _terrifying_ glint growing strong in her irises. 

This both scared _and_ excited Nicole. Like, _a lot_ . She remembered only one other time she saw that look in Waverly's eyes, and that’s when she found her when she snuck out with her ex-meathead. Clearly, it was ‘Bad Girl Waverly’, and Nicole would be a dirty _liar_ if she said that didn’t turn her on. 

“Nic . . .” Waverly lifted a hand to grab the taller girl’s chin and pulled it down so she’d look her straight in the eyes. “It’s just kissing. Nonna doesn’t have to know.” 

Nicole knitted her brows in confusion and hurt. What the girl was asking of her, although so damn _tempting_ , was to go behind her best friend's back with her _little_ _sister_. Like the most absolute shittiest shitbag ever. “B- But Waves, she’s my _best friend._ I can’t do that to her.” 

Waverly dared to raise an eyebrow on her already teasing face. “Hey . . . slow it down. It’s not like we’re _screwing.”_ _‘Yet,’_ she mentally added. She had no idea that her older counterpart did the same. 

“. . . I guess, yeah.” 

“Like I said, it’s just kissing. Harmless.” Waverly flashed a dangerous smile. “Let’s just have fun for now. Nonna doesn’t have to know if it’s not serious, right?” 

The older girl nodded, though she didn’t let a couple words past her. _For now._ Those two words sank a pit in her stomach and started a fire a little lower. 

“Besides,” Waverly taunted as she walked over to finally close her locker and head towards their homeroom. “Why would I bother telling Wynonna about us kissing if I don’t really know if you’re good at it yet?” 

“Oooooohuhhoh, is that so?” Nicole allowed herself to get riled up and taunt back as she quickly followed. 

“Mhmm.” 

“I think you know that’s _far_ from the truth.” 

Waverly shrugged playfully. “I guess you’re gonna have to prove me wrong then, huh?” 

The older girl licked her lips. “Sounds like a challenge. And I _never_ lose a challenge.” 

“Is that a promise?” 

“Oh, more like a _threat_.” And with one last burning glance between them, the two girls headed towards class, walking fast to not only to avoid being late but also because it was impossible to go slow with the fire alit in both of their lower stomachs. 

**1:25 PM**

Somehow, the day got by everyone pretty quickly, most of them surprised it was already gym period. Well, _most_ were surprised. 

For the past 55 minutes, the youngest Gardner had been hunched over his desk in the far back corner of the classroom, scribbling doodles in his math notebook. All of them were sketches and rough doodles of his most _beloved_ brunette cheerleader. He’d loved her since pre-school and had waited for her ever since. He _knew_ she would belong to him sooner or later. To find out the news of her and Champ’s breakup gave him a high he’d never had; One no one ever thought Tucker could even feel. For the last ten minutes or so, he had impatiently glanced at the clock in between scratching out a few lines on his latest doodle. It was of his girl in a wedding dress, placed right next to the list of baby names he picked for their future children. He got so carried away, he almost missed the bell that released him from the captive classroom. 

He was on a mission.

Though he absolutely _despised_ his very existence, Tucker was on a mission to get to Champ Hardy. And _quick._ If binge-reading all of those war strategy books taught him anything, it was that sometimes you have to team up with your enemy to take down a common enemy. In this case, Tucker placed himself as America, and Champ as Russia. Although they absolutely despised one another, they’d have to work together to take down their common target: Germany. 

Time seemed to lapse again as the gawky boy found himself already in the locker room, making his way to his own locker before venturing over to Champ’s. 

“James,” Tucker spoke flatly, disdain clearly echoing in his voice. 

The muscled-up jock turned around from his locker in confusion, having heard his _wrong_ name. 

_James_ was a _loser._

_Champ_ was a _Champ_. 

“Who the- Oh, it’s you. You came to me for your daily swirlie so I didn’t have to come and hunt you down, huh?”He reached out and pet Tucker’s head with a grin. “Good nerd!” 

Tucker pulled his head back with a huff of disgust. _“No._ I need to talk to you.” 

Champ scrunched his face as he looked around to his buddies in disbelief. “Uhhh, did someone else get to you already and knock your head around a bit? Since _when_ would I _ever_ talk to you, Dude?” His peanut gallery of buffoons giggled and sneered in encouragement. 

Tucker rolled his eyes when he felt Champ grab him by the back of the neck and push him towards the toilets. Before being forced to drop to his knees in front of the toilet, Tucker tried one last time. “It’s about _Nicole.”_ He slowly turned around to face the bigger boy when he didn’t immediately feel the sensation of poop water on his face. 

“Ginger dyke Nicole?” Champ asked, and Tucker nodded. “What about her?” 

“I want her gone. And I think you can help me.” 

Champ raised an interested brow. “And how’s that?” 

“I’ve got the brains. You’ve got the muscle,” he calmly explained. 

Champ crossed his meaty arms one over another and cocked his head. “So why should I help you?” 

“Waverly.” He watched the boy scoff in anger, still clearly recovering from a bruised ego of being dumped because _no one_ broke up with Champ _Freakin’_ Hardy. “You know just as well as me that Waverly would never’ve left you if it weren’t for that _nasty_ girl.” Stroking his ego was the only way Tucker was gonna get what he wanted, that much he knew. 

“Alright, Gardner. I’ll do it. _Only_ to get my girl back. though. Or at least teach that fag who’s boss . . .” He shifted on his feet as he allowed Tucker to stand up off of the floor. “So. What’re we doing?” 

Tucker glanced around to see if anyone was around to hear, but even after not seeing a soul in sight, he still didn’t trust it. “I’ll explain that later-“

Champ let out a scoff and held his hands up in front of him. “Ok, wait. Slow down, Dude. I can’t be seen talking to _you_ . What do you mean _later_?”

“Well, we have to meet to plan it all out obviously. It’s gonna be a lot more than just using your meaty fists for this, I’m sorry to tell you. It’s gonna take _brains_ and _strategy.”_ Tucker paused for a moment with a cross of his arms. “Do you think you can handle that?” 

Champ looked as if the old internet dial-up tone was the only thing happening in his head. “. . . Yeah, totally. Sure. But, look, okay? If we gotta meet up, we do it in private.” 

Tucker raised a brow. “What, like at our houses?” 

_“God_ no, I am not hanging out with _you_ at my house, Nerd. And I’m _definitely_ not going to that creepy Gardner mansion either.” 

With an eye roll and a huff, Tucker questioned, “Then what did you have in mind, Champ? 

“Under the bleachers. ‘Cause then if we’re found, I can just play it off as beating you up or something.” He flashed his nauseating smile in amusement, though he was the only one amused. 

“Okay, fine. So meet me under the bleachers tomorrow, this period, okay?”

“Make it lunch and we have a deal.” He was met with a glare by the other boy. “What, it’s the dodgeball unit this marking period and it’s my favorite opportunity to whale on losers!” 

“Whatever. Just meet me there at lunch tomorrow, got it?” 

“Yup.” Champ popped the ‘p’ at the end as he grabbed Tucker by the neck and bent him forward, putting his head in a headlock and unleashing the absolute _worst_ noogie ever. “Pleasure doin’ business with ya, Tuck Tuck!” 

**5:01 PM**

“Alright, ladies!” Coach Rivera shouted to get the basketball girls’ attention. “Good job today. Don’t forget our big game is coming up, so don’t do nothin’ _stupid_ to get yourself benched this time.” The coach looked towards Wynonna and a couple of girls she was friendly with. “Lookin’ at you, Earp.” 

“Hey! I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Coach, I am a _saint.”_ Wynonna threw her hands up in defense with a wicked smirk. 

Rivera just rolled his eyes and said his final goodbyes before leaving the locker room so they could change. This time, their practice finished before cheer, so Nicole had lots of room to spread out without a _certain brunette space hog_ there to, well, be a space hog. Although, she was _also_ the certain _hot_ brunette who Nicole was almost sad wasn’t there to take in the sights. 

_“C'mon,_ Slowpoke. It’s like you’re trying to give these girls a free peep show.” The eldest Earp appeared at the lockers next to her, leaning up against them casually, already out of her practice clothes. 

“These girls or you?” Nicole snarked back as she took off her jersey. 

“What can I say, I’m a sucker for muscles.” She laughed when Nicole flipped her off playfully. “You wanna come with me and Doc to Shorty’s after this? We’re gonna probably meet up with Dolls and whoever else is there, play some pool maybe.” 

“Sounds fun. I’m gonna stay after a little here, though, I wanna shower. Maybe I’ll catch up?” 

“Meh, that’s cool. Probably gonna ask Doc for a ride before we get there anyway.” 

Nicole grimaced, “You’re not talking about a car, are you?” 

Wynonna laughed again as she passed Nicole, smacking her butt as she went. “Catch ya later, Haught Shit. Love ya!” 

“Yeah, yeah,” she replied mostly to herself as she grabbed her clothes and hit the shower room. She didn’t usually take showers after practices; her motto always was _‘there ain’t no one to impress, so just get dressed.”_

But _now,_ there _was_ someone to impress. 

Maybe. 

Kinda. 

Whatever.

She just didn’t wanna smell around Waverly. 

Nicole was just _getting her shower_ on when she heard the door of the locker room open and the sound of 15 shrill teenage girl voices follow. A heat pooled in her core at the same time that the hair rose on the back of her neck, and she smirked as she continued to rub soap all over herself. 

The noise slowly drained as she decided to play it slow, taking a few extra minutes in there. She grabbed her towel and dried herself off, stepping out and quickly pulling her boxers and sports bra on, tugging on the sweatpants she had worn that day to school and letting them hang low on her hips.

Hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. 

She tousled her towel through her wet hair as she wandered out of the shower room and back over to her row of lockers, smirking when she recognized familiar Birkenstocks standing next to a certain locker. She pulled the towel off her head, widening her eyes in faux-surprise at Waverly. “Oh. Didn’t see you there.”

“Bullshit,” she laughed as she finished pulling on her grey graphic tee that left _nothing_ to the imagination.

“What?” Nicole asked with a chuckle as she moved around her, gently touching her hip as she brushed her front across her back despite the room between Waverly and the bench behind her. “I just showered.” 

“I see that,” she mumbled, flicking her eyes to her stomach and chest where there were still drops of water sliding down.

“Seems so,” Nicole said, hooking her pointer finger under her chin and tipping her head back up. “Eyes’re up here, Princess.” Waverly clenched her jaw hard, standing up on her toes to try and see above the lockers. Nicole smirked and stepped behind her again, lifting her up by the hips so her head was above them. “Better?” Waverly had let out a sharp gasp right when she was lifted, and she looked down at her with wide eyes. Nicole raised her brows. “Well?”

She looked back up with a purse of her lips, and Nicole set her down. “Chrissy’s doddling.” 

“Tell her to fuck off,” Nicole grumbled. 

“Why?” Waverly turned around with a small smirk. “Are you waiting on something?” 

Nicole licked her lips as she flicked her eyes down to those lips. “Possibly.” 

Waverly’s stomach flipped over and she spun around. _“Chrissy!”_

It took a second, but the blonde walked over with her brow cocked. “What?” 

“Can you, uh, can you go?” She gave her a toothy smile.

Chrissy blinked at her for a second. “Why?” 

“Because I need you to go,” Waverly said slowly. 

Chrissy looked between Waverly and Nicole for a solid five seconds before her eyes slowly widened and she backed up a step. _“Ohh.”_

“Mhm, bye, Chrissy,” Waverly mumbled. 

She grinned wide and gave them a thumbs up. “Have fun!”

Waverly let out a breath with a roll of her eyes as she turned back around towards Nicole. The few seconds of silence besides the sound of Chrissy fumbling her things and bolting out of the room were _torture,_ yet neither of them moved a muscle until they heard the door close behind her. 

But once it did?

Waverly had Nicole pressed back against the cold metal of the lockers and was on her lips before she could even _comprehend_ it. Nicole groaned, sinking back against it and gripping her hips, pulling her even closer as she deepened the kiss. Waverly hooked her hand around the back of her neck with a squeeze, getting a groan out of Nicole as she slipped her hands down to her ass and hoisted her up.

Waverly hissed a little when her back pressed against the locker, tightening her arms looped around her neck and her legs around her hips as Nicole kissed her harder. Waverly let out a soft moan, slipping one hand up to tangle in her wet hair. 

“You been waitin’ for this all day, huh?” Nicole muttered against her lips. Waverly let out a whimper, and Nicole slipped her hand up between them, meeting her eyes as she rolled her lip down with her thumb. “Is that a yes?” 

_“Yes,_ Nic,” she breathed out. 

Nicole hummed, nudging her head up with her nose and sliding the top ball of her tongue piercing from the corner of her jaw to her chin. “Thought so.” She raised her brows at Waverly, who kept her head tipped back even after she pulled away from her. “That good, huh?”

“Shut up,” she mumbled, pulling back into her lips roughly. Waverly slid her hands down after unwrapping her arms from around her neck, moving them around to her chest. She brushed her thumbs across Nicole’s _Stay Gold_ before slipping her hands down her arms and squeezing at her biceps. “You need more of these.”

“What?” 

Waverly gave the arm with the sleeve a harder squeeze. “Tats. They make me fuckin’ crazy.” 

Nicole chuckled, gripping her hands into her ass. “Oh, I plan on it.”

Waverly wasn’t sure if she moaned at _that,_ how deep and rumbly her voice got, the _thought_ of her having more tattoos, or just all of that combined, but she moaned nonetheless. 

“Mm, ya like that thought?”

“Mhm.”

“Mhm,” Nicole echoed as she met her lips again, pressing her harder up against the locker as she leaned more into her. _“You_ need more piercings.”

“Gus said she’d rip it out of my face if I got something that wasn’t on my ears.” 

“What’s her deal, huh? She ain’t even allowed to know about Mr. Butterfly either.” Nicole leaned back and reached between them, brushing her thumb over her belly button piercing over her shirt as she kissed her neck.

“She doesn’t want me getting something I’ll regret,” she mumbled with a roll of her eyes. “She’s making me wait until I’m 18.” 

Nicole moved back up to her lips with a smirk. “Well . . .”

Waverly slid her hand through her hair, speaking when she pulled back for air, “Well what?” 

“I guess you just have to get more that she can’t see.” 

Waverly leaned her head back to pull from her lips, cocking a brow at her. “Like where-” Her core tightened when she saw that Nicole’s eyes were locked below her face as she bit her lip. _“Oh.”_

“I, uh, I don’t think they’d know if you got a pair of them.”

Waverly lifted her lip a little in a smirk as she slipped her hands between them and squeezed at her own tits. “Nipple piercings, hmm?”

Nicole hooked the ball of her piercing on her teeth with a grin and a nod. “Mhm.” She pushed her tongue through her lips when she leaned in again. “That’d be _hot.”_

Waverly pulled back from her lips, catching the wolfish grin on Nicole's face as she pulled her off of the locker and threw her left leg over the bench, turning and sitting down so she was straddling it. Waverly leaned back in, feeling Nicole's tongue slide through her lips again. She tightened her fingers into her shoulder with a moan. "I take it back from earlier, you're a great kisser." 

"Damn straight." Nicole leaned them forward and pressed her back against the seat of the long bench, grabbing the one that was next to it and scooting it closer so their sides were pressed together to make it wider. She shifted their bodies over and dropped her weight on her, grinding her hips forward only once before pulling from her lips and sighing sadly. ". . . Just kissing." 

Waverly tipped her head a bit, sliding her hands down her sides and around her back before slipping her hands under the hem of her sweatpants and giving her ass a squeeze over her boxers. "A little fun is ok." 

"Waves-" 

She pulled Nicole’s head down and kissed down her jaw, nipping once at the anchor on her neck before sliding her mouth back up to her ear. “If you can’t get yourself to do it for real then just tell me what you wanna do to me.”

A shudder rolled up Nicole’s spine and she let out a shaky breath as she slowly pressed her hips forward again. “God, Wave, _everything.”_

Waverly grinned wide against her lips when Nicole had surged forward to meet them. “Everything?”

“Mhm.”

“I think I’d like that.”

Nicole chuckled as she felt her hands now gripping into her sides. “Oh, Darlin’, _trust me._ You’d _love_ it.” 

**5:57 PM**

To say that the girls weren’t in pure bliss as they took their _cloud nine_ stroll out of the locker room would be just as much of a lie as saying the sky was green. After having some particularly _fun_ after school activities together, the pair eventually finished changing and went on their separate ways home. Nicole took the long way back to the Homestead, just reliving Every. Single. Detail. She was making sure to keep it replaying in her head, so it really wasn’t a surprise to see that she was the last one to arrive home. 

_“Well then,_ look who decided to mosey on home,” Gus teased as the taller girl walked through the door. 

“Hey, Gus.” The way she unknowingly beamed when she gave her usual friendly smile made Gus raise a brow. 

“What happened today?” she questioned.

Those three words drove an 18-wheeler right into the redhead’s body. Eyes bulging and cheeks instantly blending in with her roots, Nicole tried to hide her nerves as she fake chuckled. _“Nothing!-_ Nothing, Gus, why d’you ask?”

The older woman laughed a bit after seeing the other girl’s reaction. “I just figured something had to have happened at the school ‘cause all my girls came home smilin’ from ear to ear.” Her eyes playfully twinkled with joy as she watched the other girl visibly relax. “Ain’t no grumps home today, no, Ma’am.”

“Oh! Yeah, no, uh- Just something really good happened today . . . with my friends, is all.” Nicole knew Gus didn’t buy that, but she also knew Gus respected her enough not to care.

“So longs’ it’s not illegal or dangerous, Honey, I am _glad_ to see you smilin’.” Gus threw her a knowing yet loving smile. “Now, this here may put a damper on your mood, though.”

“What’s that?” Nicole asked with a furrowed brow.  
“I didn’t cook nothin’ tonight. Curtis and I just ordered some Chinese over on the ranch, and with Wynonna out doing _God knows what_ with her friends at Shorty’s, I just figured ain’t no point in makin’ a big ol’ feast.”

“Wow, Gus. You’ve just completely _ruined_ my day,” Nicole deadpanned before fixing her saddened face with a grin. “Well, that’s okay. I think I’ll just take the little man out tonight.”

“Oh, it _was_ a good day then, _huh_?” Gus finished up her teasing with a gentle pat on the taller girl’s shoulder as she made her way into the living room to settle onto the couch.

“Oh, Buggy Boy!” Nicole called out. She didn’t have to wait long before her little brother came barreling down the steps and jumped into her arms.

“Coley!” Nash exclaimed with excitement. 

“Hey there, Bud. I got a surprise for ya.”

“What is it?” The little redhead beamed up at the taller one after she set him back down.

She gave her brows a wiggle. “How ‘bout we go get some Danks?”

The little boy started to jump up and down in excitement. “DO WE GET TO SEE VIKKI, TOO?!”

Nicole chuckled at her brother’s reaction, for it was just _so_ pure. “If she’s working today, Bug, then yeah, but we won’t know if we just sit here asking about it. Go get your shoes and stuff.” She almost didn’t even have to finish her sentence before he was nothing but a flash of red speeding up the staircase. She shook her head, taking the opportunity to text one of the few people that could make her smile this much. 

**Nicole: Hey, me and Bug r making a run to McDanks. U want something?**

**Waverly: I mean, I do, but I don’t think what I want is on the menu...**

**Nicole: And what would that be Darlin?**

**Waverly: Idk**

**Waverly: Something tall**

**Waverly: And hot…**

**Nicole: Hmm**

**Nicole: Sounds to me like u want a medium fry, fresh off the fryer**

**Waverly: That’s not exactly what I had in mind, but I’d never pass up a fry offering**

**Nicole: Don’t worry, I’ll throw in some water too**

**Nicole: Lord knows u need it with how thirsty u are**

**Waverly: Watch yourself, Haught, u don’t wanna get back on my bad side 😉**

**Nicole: Oh sweetheart, I’d love to see u bad**

“---Coley?” The small, questioning voice broke through Nicole’s rather dirty chain of thought and brought her back to reality. With a slight shake of the head, she smiled to cover up the no doubt obvious signs of _whatever_ it was that the younger girl always did to her and nodded for her brother to follow her to the door.

Although a short one, the siblings made most of their car ride together, laughing, singing, and teasing one another as well as catching up on each other’s days.

“And no one is giving you any more trouble, right?” Nicole asked her brother.

With a huff, Nash rolled his eyes as he assured her for the _one millionth_ time that he was okay now. _“Yessss,_ Coley! Everything is fine now.”

“Hey, look, huff and puff all you want, Mister, but it’s my job to make sure ain’t nobody beatin’ on my baby brother.”

“I’m not a _baby!”_ he whined.

Nicole laughed and spoke quickly with her words all jumbled together. _“Babysaywhat?”_

“What?” Nash said at first before realizing what she had said. _“Hey!_ No fair!”

The car quickly filled with a mixture of the older sibling’s barking laughter and a string of insults along the lines of ‘doody head’ and ‘poser’ coming from Nash. Everything felt like a cheesy Hallmark moment up until the sounds of blaring horns cut off the harmonious scene. Nicole looked up the road to see a chain of cars wrapping around the fast-food restaurant, complete with people yelling and angrily trying to pull out of the line. “What the hell?” Nicole muttered under her breath as she turned into the parking lot. She parked in her old spot out of habit and went to get out of the car to see what was going on. “Bug, stay in the car, I’ll be right back.”

“But-”  
“No, Nash. I said stay here. I won’t be long gone.” She glanced back at him before closing her door and heading towards the front door, completely ignoring the death glare her mini-me shot her with crossed arms. 

Nicole headed over to the counter where she saw her old co-worker, Toby, absolutely _blundering_ everything up in his path as he ran around trying to do a full staff’s worth of work by himself. 

Without looking up to really see who it was and just having heard someone approach, the young drive-thru clerk struggled through the ‘Hi, welcome to McDonald's’ greeting before desperately pleading for a moment as he tried to also calm down the heckler at the window. 

“Toby?” Nicole called out.

“Oh my god, Nicole! Thank _God_ you’re here. I need help!”

Despite insisting that she didn’t work there anymore, Nicole made her way behind the counter to attend to the chorus of alarms going off, signaling the almost definite burning of some foods. “Where the hell is everyone else? Why are you alone?”

In between speaking over the intercom to people in the line outside, he looked at the taller girl with the most dead eyes she had seen in a kid around here in a long time. “It was a slower night, so Vik sent Brian home. She said we could handle it or some shit.”

Nicole threw her arms out. “Then where is Vikki now? Why ain’t she helping you?”

Poor Toby could only throw his hands up in a loose shrug before getting pulled back to the window where it appeared someone was just about to climb through for their Big Mac. 

Getting an uneasy feeling in her stomach, Nicole turned to head towards the back of the restaurant where Vikki’s office was. It was _not_ like her to leave her store understaffed and without her supervision. As Nicole neared the older woman’s office, she called out. “Vik?” No answer. “Vikki?” Still no answer. _“_ Where the hell are you?” she added under muttered breaths of worry. 

Nicole approached the big office window that always had the blinds pulled closed over it. Vikki’s motto always was ‘As long as y’all do your jobs, and I can trust y’all actually are, I don’t wanna know.’ However, something about it being closed now of all times felt _wrong_ and put a worsening sickening fear in the pit of her stomach.

Especially when she got closer and she saw that her door wasn’t closed. 

It wasn’t wide open like it usually was, but rather an eerily three-quarters, a foreign angle to its hinges. 

“Vikki?” Nicole called out one more time as she got to the office door and opened it fully to try and inspect the tiny room. “Where the he-” Nicole stopped dead in her tracks, mid-sentence. 

Vikki was, in fact, in her office. 

But instead of in her usual swivel chair greeting the younger girl with her bright smile, she was laying on her stomach on the floor. Her face was facing the door, and though her eyes were bulging, they were fixed on absolutely nothing. Her usual flushed cheeks were pale, almost as white as the soft drink cup laying spilled on the floor next to her hand. Her always laughing, pink lips were affixed shut, a blue tinge hugging the outline. The only other hint of color was the bloodshot vessels surrounding both her pupils and the little trickle of dark red liquid coming from the corner of her lips, pooling on the old rug under her. 

After all that, it was safe to say Vikki wasn’t missing anymore. 

No, Vikki was right here.

_Dead._

Tears stung Nicole’s eyes, but it wasn’t her own wails and sobs that broke her out of her complete and utter shock. No. When she followed the guttural cries to the source, she saw who was doubled over with tears pouring down their face.

It was Nash. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queef:  
> ...  
> ...  
> ...  
> Don't say we didn't warn you  
> And don't look at me either, I didn't do it  
> Fr though, can we get a rip in the chat for Vikki? She was such a great woman on top of being a new motherly figure for the Haught's.  
> Yeah....we gave you the WayHaught goods just to rip your heart out in the end, so YOU'RE WELCOME!!
> 
> Solace:  
> I wanna just take the time to say how grateful and how thankful I am to have a friend like Queef in my life. She has been a supportive, patient, and loving friend to me. Not to get too sappy, but even when I felt like I had no one else, I knew I always had her and although I feel like I am constantly letting her down because I can’t keep the schedule like all her other fics, I am so thankful for her not judging me for it. So Queef, because you’re the one that publishes the chapters and notes I just wanna give you a big gay bromance shout-out now and then post it so people can see the gross bromates that we are. Love you dude 🤍
> 
> ^Shut your bitch ass up, you piece of shit. You're making my dyke ass soft now. You're the one off being an adult and doing all the cool shit, so idc about the upload schedule as much as I do about your mental stability. And don't give me all the credit either 'cause you're the one that's kept me sane through my shit, too. I love you with my whole ass gay heart broski, don't u forget that. 
> 
> :P all of you wish solace a happy late b-day since it was at the beginning of this month. She's a big kid now 🥺
> 
> FOLLOW US ON INSTA IF YOU WANNA SLIDE IN THEM DMs AND SEND US DEATH THREATS FOR THIS @lookingtobelong


	19. There Isn't Any Real Good Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death is never easy...but this one really takes a toll on the Haughts
> 
> check beginning notes for trigger warnings :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> queef:  
> yo  
> I ain't gonna say much cuz this chap is a lot, but yk :))))  
> Hope y'all are doing good...cuz ik you won't be after this  
> Also fuck yeah for this fic turning a year old last month
> 
> TW: Death, all the death talk, funeral shit 
> 
> solace:  
> suh dudes. I'm big sad and big depressed but what's new. Those of you that have been here know that I've been struggling. You'll be happy to know that I'm getting help!!  
> I'm dealing with a very very hard breakup, as messy as it gets. But unfortunately for y'all, that just mean that I have loads of angst to put into my words.  
> ANYWAYS  
> Enjoy fuckers 😉😈

**January 29th, 2019 6:31 PM**

“Nash,” Nicole barely breathed out, still in shock. She could only process the sight of her innocent little brother crumbling before her.  _ “Nash.” _

_ “Do something, _ Coley! Save her! Save her!” The little one continued to freak out before rushing towards Vikki’s body.

Snapping out of it when the scene processed in her dazed mind, Nicole lurched forward to scoop her brother up in his tracks. He fought against her grip, desperately trying to get to the woman on the floor. 

“Na-”

_ “No, _ Coley, save her!”

_“Nash,”_ she tried again, attempting the calmest voice she could. “She’s gone, Bug. She’s dead.” 

Despite not wanting to accept that as the truth, Nash stopped squirming and tried to be quieter. “Wh- What now?” he sobbed out.

Nicole put him back down closer towards the door he came from and stood right in front of him so he couldn’t see into the room anymore. She reached in her back pocket and handed her phone over to him. “Go to the car. _Stay_ in the car. Wait there for me, ok?”

“Why?” 

“The cops will be here soon and you don’t need to be involved in this mess.”

His eyes quickly widened in fear. “You’re not getting taken away again right, Coley?”

Nicole shook her head and she pat his shoulders to prod him out. “No, Bug, but go. Run to the car and don’t look back, ok?”

The sight of her little brother disappeared as he did just that, and she went to work. Blood rushing, adrenaline pumping, Nicole hurried back to the beloved woman sprawled out on the floor. She knew in the back of her mind it was a lost hope. Hell, Vikki's body hadn’t moved or made a noise the entire time she was there. But she had to try. She  _ had  _ to. So she quickly dropped to her knees with sobs beginning to wrack through her body.

Pressing her hands together after flipping her over, she firmly pushed on the older woman’s chest, and began CPR. In between pulses and breaths, Nicole called out with a near screeching voice,  _ “CALL 911, NOW!” _ The sound of car horns and various yelling faded under frantic stomps until a confused teen boy appeared at the door frame. 

“What’re you-  _ holy shit!” _

“Dude,  _ do it, _ now!” Nicole was seeing red, but she never stopped CPR on Vikki's lifeless body. 

Running back to the window, Toby was met by a middle-aged woman with a bob cut and an attitude. “I have been waiting for  _ fifteen  _ fuc-“

“There’s a  _ dead body _ in the back office, Karen!” he fired back, clearly  _ not  _ in the mood for  _ that  _ fucking attitude. He slammed the plexiglass window for the drive-thru shut on the woman’s screams as he rushed to call 911.

Fumbling through dialing the three numbers, Toby finally managed to get himself onto a call with an operator.

_ “911, what’s your emergency?” _

“Yo, so, uh, my manager’s, like,  _ totally  _ dead. Like, hella not breathing, Dude.” 

_ “Okay, did you try CPR?” _

“I didn’t, no. She’s totally dead, Dude. Just send some cops or something, please.”

_ “Alright. What’s your name?” _

“It’s Toby.”

_ “Okay, Toby, and where are you located?”  _

“The ‘Danks right off the main road.”

_ “The what?” _

“The McDanks! Ya know, like ‘Ba da ba ba ba, I’m lovin’ it’?”

The middle-aged woman’s voice clearly reflected how little she gets paid to have to deal with this. She sighed but tried to remain as  _ professional _ as possible.  _ “Okay Toby, it’s the McDonalds located right off of Purgatory Way, correct?” _

The woman couldn't see it, but Toby made a face as if he was astonished by this woman’s small-brain statement.  _ “Yeah _ .  _ Please  _ hurry, Dude. I got, like, five Karens backed up in the drive-thru right now and I really just wanna go home. I have so much homework and I-”

The call disconnected abruptly, marking the first time a 911 operator ever hung up on a caller in the town’s history. But honestly, it was well warranted. 

The teen looked at his phone in confusion but shrugged it off. He ran back to the backroom to the  _ second  _ most intense scene the boy saw today.

_ No  _ amount of winding down bedtime Tik Tok scrolling would help him forget tonight.

He witnessed Nicole hunched over Vikki’s body, consistently and forcefully pressing down over the older woman’s heart, cracking sounds occurring every so often as the surrounding ribs cracked under the pressure of the blows. He couldn’t make out what exactly it was that she was saying, but he could hear the girl muttering words aggressively between sniffles and sobs. 

Now Toby might’ve not been the smartest guy he knew, but even he knew that, sadly, the woman was a lost cause. Walking over to the still struggling girl, he dropped a hand to her shoulder and pulled back on it. “Nicole . . .” he said softly, but she clearly wasn’t listening. “Hey, Nicole, c’mon, Man. She’s gone.”

She didn’t want it to be true, but she knew it was. “Fuck,” she sniffled in anger. “Fuck!” She jumped to her feet angrily, hands shaking.  _ “FUCK!” _ She was screaming now as she backed away from Vikki’s body on the floor. How was this fair by any means? In a sick way, it was good she had yelled, though. It led the first cops on-scene right to the back room. 

And after that? 

Well, Nicole couldn’t really tell you. It was a series of blurry red and blue lights flashing through the big windows with various uniforms and sirens making noise in the background. Groups of different badges shining in the glimmer of her tears were rushing around. They were speaking to each other, speaking to Toby, handling the various angry bob cuts demanding their McFlurries. But the one she could remember, the one she wishes she couldn’t, were the blue and black-clad guys kneeling over her former boss and friend, shaking their heads in grim agreement, and producing a silver stretcher and a white bag. 

That  _ fucking _ white bag. 

She had seen it so many times and would rather have seen it so many more to anyone else than this one. She watched, hopeless and shattered, as those uniforms lifted the woman off the floor and into the white bag that lay open on the stretcher. The men were careful, thankfully, and the last thing she saw that she would give anything to forget was one gloved hand slowly pulling the zipper over the emotionless, paled face of the closest thing she’d ever had to a mother figure. She stood there watching, frozen until the zipper wouldn’t go up anymore. She could barely bring her throat to whisper out the only words clearly on her mind. “Goodbye, Vikki.” 

**9:03 PM**

Nicole slipped quietly into the barn, disassociating a bit as she put herself on auto-pilot and yanked all of her clothes off, dropping them right where she took them off and sliding into the depression outfit that she knew all too well. It was just a baggy, black hoodie and sweatpants, but it was one of the only things she could count on being there when she was upset for whatever reason.

Nicole slowly sat down on her bed, flicking the hood over her head before laying down on her side and staring at the dark wall that was facing her. She wasn’t really aware of what universe she had shoved herself in, but she knew  _ damn well  _ it wasn’t the present. She knew if she were to have thought about anything any longer she would have slipped into a breakdown, and that was  _ not  _ what she needed right now. 

She wasn’t sure if she had fallen asleep for a little while or if she had just zoned out for a bit, but her brow furrowed when she heard a noise. She shifted a little, rolling to her back and listening again for a few moments until she recognized what it was. 

The baby monitor.

Nicole sat up and grabbed it, pulling it into her lap and turning the volume up. She could now hear the faint sound of sniffles coming from her brother’s room, and her heart shattered into little pieces. They quickly turned to full-on sobs, and she let out a quick breath as she pushed off the bed to head inside.

She paused, though, right before she was going to toss the baby monitor onto her bed. 

She heard a hush and some muffled talking coming from the room, and Nicole brought the monitor closer to her ear again. 

“C’mere, Little Dude,” she heard whispered and immediately recognized it as Wynonna. There was some fumbling against the microphone for a moment, and Nicole pulled it away from her ear with a wince. “I’ve gottem tonight, Nic . . . Get some sleep.” 

Nicole swallowed, staring down at it and hearing it clicked off. She slowly turned back around and slumped down onto her bed, resting her elbows on her knees as she stared down at the baby monitor as she held it with both hands. 

Wynonna helping instead of her was almost a blessing in disguise really because she knew the second she was him crying, she would have broken down into tears, too. She dropped her head to sag between her shoulders, swallowing as she slowly shook her head with a heavy sigh. How Wynonna knew about the baby monitor she had hidden, she had no idea, but she wasn’t shocked that she did. Even if she  _ had  _ known about it before, how she knew that she had been moving to come inside at that very moment was a mystery to her. 

Wynonna knew Nicole the best out of everyone, and it almost scared her sometimes. 

Nicole couldn’t blame her, though. She was one of the only people besides Nash that had seen her at her lowest of lows throughout the years, and she figured that had something to do with it. 

When Nicole really thought about it, though, she realized it wasn’t  _ just  _ Wynonna and Nash dealing with her petty ass bullshit anymore. 

It was her whole family.

_ Her  _ family. 

All of the people in that fucking house were her family, and she couldn’t be more grateful for them. Gus and Curtis had given up  _ a lot  _ just to make sure that she and Nash had a roof over their heads and food on a plate, and Waverly . . .

Well, she was Waverly. 

Sure, she still considered all of her people back in The City family, too. Fish, Levi, and Eliza mostly. 

But she had more than just them now.

. . . And the first person she had  _ ever  _ considered family besides her day ones was Vikki.

**December 17th, 2018 9:46 PM**

Nicole looked over her shoulder a few times as she made her way up the front porch steps of The House, quickly knocking the code on the door. She had already lost  _ two  _ undercover cops trying to tail her to see where she was headed, and she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss anymore. A tired Fish opened it a few moments later, but his eyes snapped wide-open when he saw her. “Am I dreamin’ or did your gay ass get out?”

Nicole gave him an exhausted smile. “If you were dreaming, I’d probably look a lot hotter than I do right now.” 

He laughed, grabbing her arms and pulling her through the door as he crushed her in a hug. “I missed ya, Red.” 

She hugged him back, gripping her hand around the top of his shoulder with a few pats. “I missed you, too.”

Fish pulled back with a smile, turning his head towards the stairs. “Aye, Haught’s home!” he shouted. 

It seemed Levi and Eliza were either the only other ones home or the only other ones conscious because they were the only two that came barreling down the steps. Eliza threw her arms around her neck when she crashed into her, and Nicole stumbled back a step, squeezing her arms tightly around her middle. 

“Oh my god,” Eliza breathed out after a few seconds, pulling back and grabbing her face as she looked her over. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I promise,” Nicole mumbled, giving her a little smile of assurance before pulling away from her. She turned towards Levi, and he pulled her right into a hug. Nicole smiled, though let out a choked noise after a few seconds when he tightened his arms around her neck. “Too tight, Dude.” 

He pulled back with a wince. “Sorry.” She gave him a little smile as well, flicking her eyes towards each of their relieved faces. 

“Why haven’t you gotten Nash?” Eliza asked. “I checked on him the other day, and he seems . . . living.” 

Nicole locked and unlocked her jaw a few times, rubbing her hand on the side of her neck. “. . . I can’t get him yet.”

“Why?” they all asked at the same time. 

“What is that?” Eliza walked forward and pulled the collar of her t-shirt down, poking the obviously fresh ink. “You did  _ not  _ get a prison tat.”

“Sure did.” She smacked her hand away. 

Eliza nudged her away and looked at it for a few more seconds before slowly raising her eyes to her. “Stay gold . . .” She let her hands drop to her sides. “You’re leaving.” Nicole swallowed, looking away from all of them for a moment. 

“Are you really, Red?” Fish asked after a few seconds of silence passed over. 

She looked towards him and nodded slowly. “. . . Yeah. I have to.”

“You have to?” Levi asked with a tip of his head. 

“I mean- I don’t  _ have  _ to, but I need to. I . . . I’m tired of this life. I can’t do it anymore. If I get caught again, they might charge me for real, and I just- I can’t take that risk.” 

“Where’re you gonna go?” Eliza questioned. 

“Purgatory.”

“Isn’t that where Earp’s from?” she asked. 

Nicole slowly nodded. “That’s where she took Bug before . . . ya know. She’s living back there now, I think. I figure I’ll just get a job or two to start making some money that way.” She shrugged a little. “That’s all I can do.” 

Fish walked towards her with a sigh, grabbing both of her shoulders. “I’m not saying I won’t miss your ass more knowing you’re off trying to make something of yourself, but I’m glad you’ve got your mind in the right place for it now . . . ‘Cause lord knows we don’t.” 

She smiled softly at him before looking towards them all. “I’m gonna miss you fuckers, I really am.”

They all followed her as she turned towards the steps and headed up. “We’re gonna miss you, too,” Levi mumbled.

She walked into her and Nash’s old room and grabbed a suitcase, dropping it on the bed and beginning to pull clothes out of the closet. Everybody caught on and began to help her begin to pack up the room. 

“So, like . . . What happens if you can’t make ends meet there?” Eliza asked as she folded up the blanket on the bed. 

“Then . . . Then I ask Wy for help, I guess.”

“How the hell’s she gonna help you?”

Nicole looked towards her with a purse of her lips as she dumped a drawer into the bag. “. . . She told me to come live with her and her people the night I got busted.”

“She offered you a place to stay?” Fish asked. “I’m sure that offer’s still on the table. Why aren’t you just going there now?” 

“‘Cause I wanna try first. If I can’t do it on my own,  _ then  _ I’ll take a handout.” 

Fish glared at her before rolling his eyes as he zipped a bag and tossed it at her. “You and that ego.”

They all quickly got the Haught’s things packed up and shoved into her car that had been in The House’s garage since she had been locked up. She took a moment to bid each of them a proper goodbye before climbing into her car. Nicole started it up and backed out of the driveway, swallowing a lump in her throat and forcing a smile as she waved at the trio once more before pulling away. 

She was officially on her own. For the first time in a  _ long  _ time. 

**11:21 PM**

Nicole ducked her head as she looked out the windows on either side of her car, tracing her eyes across all of the signs on the buildings she was passing. She had officially made it to Purgatory after having put some gas in her car with the $50 Eliza had shoved in her pocket without her knowing, and now she was driving around, trying to find some places that were hiring. 

She had already spotted a sign outside of the Walmart in town and planned to run in there the next morning when it opened to put an application in, but she was still looking for more that she could put on the list. 

She had never actually  _ been  _ to Purgatory before, so it was quite interesting seeing how the town was set up. Her favorite part about it so far had been the liquor store, gun shop,  _ and  _ funeral home all right next to one another. There weren’t a whole lot of places to choose from, but she was pulling into almost every parking lot to drive past the doors of the buildings to see if there were any  _ Now Hiring  _ signs on them. 

Nicole was just about to give up and go park in the Walmart parking lot to go to sleep for the night, but her eyes quickly widened when she saw the Golden Arches pop up over a hill she went over. 

And right under the letters spelling out one of their deals was  _ NOW HIRING.  _

Nicole flicked her blinker on and turned into the parking lot, pulling into a parking space and shutting her car off. Not only would she be able to get an application and hand it in  _ now,  _ but she would also be able to put some semi-real food in her stomach for the first time in way too long. 

Nicole swallowed some nerves in her throat as she pushed open the front door, shoving her hands into her jeans pockets as she slowly walked up to the counter to be greeted by an older woman with tired eyes that were somehow bright and held a sense of security in them. “What can I get ya, Sugar?” she asked with a smile. 

Nicole swallowed again, shifting on her feet. “Uh . . . A job application?” 

She raised her brows at her before tipping her head. “A job application?” 

“Yeah,” Nicole mumbled.

“At 11:30 at night?” the woman asked with a chuckle. “It’s quite the time to be on the job hunt.”

Nicole rubbed the side of her neck nervously. “I just really need a job.” 

The woman’s brows furrowed at her, and she pursed her lips for a moment before turning away. “Gimme a second.” Nicole watched her as she headed back to the kitchen for about a minute, and she cocked a brow at her when she saw her emerge with a tray of food. “C’mon.” 

“. . . What?” 

She blinked at her as she walked around the counter, huffing as she grabbed Nicole’s wrist and tugged her along to follow her. “Well, ya want a job, don’t ya? Call this your interview, Kid.” 

Nicole widened her eyes at her, quickly following and sitting down in front of her when she took a seat at the table. “Don’t I have to fill a thing out or something, though . . . ?”

“Meh, I’m the manager. I make the rules.” She tossed a McChicken and a quarter pounder at her before handing over a container of fries after. “So. Who are you? I think I’d remember ya if we’d met before.”

Nicole stared down at the food for a moment before looking back up at her. “Uh, Nicole. Nicole Haught.” 

“Nicole Haught,” she echoed as she shoved a fry from her own container into her mouth before sticking her hand out. “Well, nice ta meet ya, Nicole. I’m Vikki.”

Nicole reached across the table and shook her hand with a little smile. “Hi.” 

Vikki pointed at her with another fry after she dropped her hand. “Just so we’re clear, if you keep staring at that damn food I’m givin’ ya instead of eatin’ it, you ain’t gettin’ no job.” 

_ “Giving?”  _ Nicole asked with a raised brow.

Vikki shrugged. “You look hungry. Go on. Eat.”

Nicole sighed, relaxing a little and poking one of her fries into a cup of ketchup. “Ok.” 

“So where’re ya from, Nicole?”

“The City,” she mumbled as she unwrapped the burger. 

“Is that the fancy term for Calgary?” Vikki asked with a little smirk. Nicole smiled a little with a nod. “Where in  _ The City  _ then?” 

“Like . . . Forest Lawn area kinda” 

Vikki let out a hum. “So then what brings you here?”

Nicole slowly chewed the burger in her mouth before shrugging. “I left there. Now I’m here. Now I need a job here.” 

“You left as in what? You just jumped in your car and decided Purgatory was where you were gonna park your butt?” 

“Yeah, pretty much . . . I know someone here, so . . .”

Vikki squinted at her a bit. “. . . Would it be a long shot to say that person you know is the one and only Wynonna Earp?” Nicole widened her eyes at her quickly, stopping with a fry half-way to her mouth. “Yes then?” 

“How’d you . . .-”

“How’d I know?” she asked with a chuckle, and Nicole slowly nodded. “Well . . . let’s just say her past in The City is no secret to anyone here, and . . . I hate to say it, Kid, but you look like you just washed up from that life, too.”

Nicole’s jaw locked and she flicked her eyes down. “I’ve never done drugs.” 

“Ya mind telling me what it is you  _ have  _ done so I don’t find it out on the background check instead?” 

Nicole sat back a bit in her chair and shifted a bit. “What about me makes you assume I’ve done shit?” 

“Well, I know you have to know certain people to get these beauties done.” She poked the lion on her hand and nodded towards the anchor on her neck. “How old are ya? 17ish?”

“Almost,” she mumbled.

Vikki raised her brows a bit. “And . . . Well, you’ve just got that look in your eye. You’ve seen some things nobody should ever see.” Nicole swallowed down a bite a little roughly. “You’ve also got something else swimming in those eyes, though . . . Like you’re missing something.” A pit dropped into Nicole’s stomach, and she set the burger down, knowing she couldn’t eat anymore of it at the moment. “Hey.” Vikki reached across the table and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “I ain’t tryin’ to interrogate ya or anything, Hun. I’m just tryna figure out why a 16 year old is in my restaurant at almost midnight practically beggin’ me for a job.” 

Nicole really didn’t know what it was. She really didn’t. Usually, when someone tried to dig into her life like Vikki was right now, that was her cue to flip them off and turn the other way. 

But there was something  _ different  _ about her.

Her questions weren’t coming from a place of judgement. Not  _ once  _ had it seemed she was judging her, and she wasn’t used to that. She was simply asking the questions to ask the questions. Asking them to get to know her and her situation, and Nicole  _ really  _ didn’t know why it made her feel all weird. 

Probably because she had forgotten what it was like to feel like she was cared for. 

Nicole shifted a bit, dropping her hands to her lap and running her thumb over the lion on her hand. “. . . I just got out of juvie earlier today, and I’d already decided I was done dealing 'cause  _ that’s  _ what I did. I’ve been dealing since I was 12. I’ve been locked up five times, four for dealing, one for robbery, but  _ for  _ the record, I was forced into that one. I- I’m completely broke right now ‘cause I’m trying to turn my life around on my own instead of with dirty money, and- . . . And  _ that’s  _ why I’m here at almost midnight. Because I  _ need  _ a job as quick as I can get one ‘cause I  _ need  _ to-” 

“Need to what?” Vikki asked softly after she stopped with a shake of her head. 

Nicole held back the tears in her eyes, shaking her head again. “I just need to turn my life around,” she mumbled, knowing her voice broke with almost every word.

Sure, she had  _ wanted  _ to say she needed to go get her brother away from their dopehead father, but she wasn’t putting her whole life on the line. Not yet. She didn’t know this lady well enough to tell her that she was raising a kid on her own because she didn’t need CPS coming for  _ both  _ of them to shove them into foster care. 

Vikki pushed herself up and walked around the table. “C’mere.” 

What?” Nicole mumbled with a furrowed brow. 

“C’mere,” she huffed, grabbing her arm again and pulling her to her feet. Vikki wrapped her arms around her shoulders to pull her down into a tight hug, and Nicole’s eyes were wide as could be. It took a moment for her to remember common human reactions again, and she slowly hugged her back, letting her chin rest on her shoulder. Vikki squeezed her a little tighter before pulling back and cupping her face. 

“What was that for?” Nicole questioned.

She tipped her head at her, but Nicole saw the pain in her eyes. “You looked like you needed a hug after all of that, Hun.”

“Oh,” she said a little dumbly in realization. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to . . . being a human again.” 

Vikki smiled and gave her cheeks a squeeze before dropping her hands to her sides. “Well, you best get used to it pretty quick ‘cause you, Ma’am, have a job now.” 

Nicole’s eyes shot out of her head.  _ “Really?” _

She nodded with a soft smile. “Really.” 

Vikki stumbled back a step with the force of the hug Nicole crushed her small body in. “Thank you,” she said into her shoulder.

She ran her hand up and down her back a few times. “No, thank you.” Nicole pulled back and stared at her with confused, teary eyes. “For findin’ the courage to be a better person.” 

Nicole smiled softly at her before wrapping her back in a tight hug, closing her eyes and sighing with relief. Walking into this McDonald’s had truly been a blessing in disguise, and she knew that if it had been any other time, she might have missed out on meeting the woman that had just changed her life for the better.

**January 29th, 2019 11:10 PM**

Nicole shook her head to rid of the memories playing through her head, rubbing her hands up and down her face with a shaky breath. She leaned back against the barn wall and focused back on the drawing she had started working on at some point in her worn sketchbook.

It was strange to think that her first and last memories of Vikki were in the same exact location. Technically her last was in the parking lot when Gus had drug her towards her truck so she would stop watching them loading her body up into the ambulance. It hadn’t been until later that she had found out Nash had called her on the phone Nicole had given him, screaming and crying from inside her car. 

It had been quite the shock to the poor woman to pull up to the scene of police and EMTs scrambling around with no idea really as to what was going on. She had gotten Nash to calm down enough to explain what was happening, and the next thing the Haughts knew, Gus was shoving them both into her truck so they weren’t in anyone’s way. 

Being the angel she was, they had been stuck there until Gus had finished up helping out the police clearing out the people in the parking lot, which was much easier said than done. 

After that, she had climbed on into the truck and asked them a few questions, the first one, of course, was if they were alright. She took the hint that neither wanted to talk about the matter at hand after a few minutes of discomfort and pulled out of the parking lot, letting them both know that Curtis and Wynonna were already on their way down to get Nicole’s car for her.

The ride home had been quiet besides her asking if they wanted some food, which was a very sure no from both of them. Nicole wasn’t so sure when the next time she would be able to eat was, but it was most definitely not soon.

Gus had carried Nash in when they had arrived back at the Homestead and had offered for Nicole to come in, too, but she wasn’t too keen on human interaction at the moment, so she had slipped off to the barn, and now here she was.

Lost in thought and just lost . . . in general.

Nicole sucked in a quick breath and shoved the sketchbook between the barn wall and her bed when she heard a soft knock on the barn door. “What?” she called out, widening her eyes at herself a little bit at herself when her voice broke with it. 

The door slowly opened, and Nicole watched as Waverly eased herself into the room. “Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi,” Nicole mumbled, looking back down at the pencil in her hand for a moment before dropping it where her book was with a heavy sigh. 

Waverly slowly walked over to her bed and took a seat next on the edge of the bed, meeting her eyes with furrowed brows. “. . . Are you ok?” 

Nicole scoffed a little with a laugh, moving off the wall and laying down, flipping to face the wall again. “Yeah, Waves, I’m  _ fantastic.” _

Waverly’s eyes saddened, and she turned a little so she could see her. “I . . . I just wanted to come check on you,” she mumbled, moving to stand. “I can go, though, if-”

Nicole shot her hand back to grab her wrist before she could stand, somehow grabbing it first try even though she wasn’t looking at her. “No.”

Waverly flicked her eyes down to her hand, then looking towards her. “Ok . . . I won’t then.” Nicole slowly let go of her and pulled her arm back into her own vicinity, and Waverly sighed as she moved to lay down next to her, leaving some space between them as she clasped her hands over her stomach and stared up at the ceiling. “. . . D’you wanna talk about-”

_ “No.” _

Waverly turned her head to stare at the hood over the back of Nicole’s head with pursed lips. “You just . . . want me here?”

There was silence for a minute or so before Nicole flipped over and met Waverly’s eyes, pulling the blanket over them to her chin. Waverly flipped to her side to face her, feeling Nicole slide her hand up her arm and interlock their fingers under the blanket as she let her eyes fall from her face. “Yeah.”

Waverly slowly nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. “Then I’m here.” 

They sat in the dark of the room in their close vicinity of one another for several minutes, and Waverly had just been watching her eyes tracing around as her jaw worked, clenching and unclenching. She noticed Nicole’s eyes were flicking a little quicker and that they were a bit wider than they had been after a little while longer, so she pulled her hand up and pressed a few soft kisses to the back of it, waiting for Nicole to meet her eyes so she knew that she wasn’t thinking about whatever she had been thinking about before.

Waverly raised her brows at her when she did, clearing her throat a little. “. . . You’re allowed to be upset, ya know?” Nicole’s eyes widened, having been caught a little off-guard with that. Her throat tightened soon after, though, but she pushed away the thoughts in her mind by quickly surging forward to meet Waverly’s lips.

Waverly sucked in a quick breath, letting go of her hand and pressing her’s against her shoulder to coax her away. “Nic,” she said during the second Nicole had pulled away from her. Nicole moved her hand, though, pulling it to rest on her hip as she rolled Waverly to her back and slid on top of her. Waverly pushed both hands against her shoulders gently despite the fact that she was now kissing her back, letting out a heavy breath with the way Nicole had dropped her hips to rest on her. 

Nicole grabbed her hands and interlocked their fingers, pushing them both down against the mattress on either side of her head. “I need a distraction from my own head,” she muttered when she pulled back for air and met her eyes in the dark.

“But-”

“No. No but’s.” Nicole met her lips again, letting go of Waverly’s hands and feeling her slide them through her hair. 

Waverly totally knew that this was not a solution to the problem. What she needed was to talk about it instead of bottling up all of her emotions about it up and setting them aside, but Waverly knew very well that it was just not going to happen.

Besides, if Nicole said this was going to help in some way, she wasn’t going to deny her some relief no matter how bad of an idea it was. 

Nicole’s tongue slid far into her mouth, and Waverly let out a moan that was swallowed, tugging at her hair with the hand that had some fisted in it. Nicole groaned, rutting her hips forward against her before letting out a breathy curse and flipping them over. Waverly pressed one hand against the bed, gripping at the sheets as she cupped her face with the other and dropped an open-mouth kiss to her lips. 

One of Nicole’s hands gripped into the side of her neck, but she moved the other one down and squeezed at her ass, letting go for a moment only to bring it back down with a smack. Waverly’s hips rocked against her with a throaty moan, sucking her tongue back into her mouth with a shaky breath. 

“Fuck,” Nicole muttered in that raspy, lust-filled voice as she moved both hands to Waverly’s ass and squeezed at it as she coaxed her hips into a grind. Waverly groaned into her mouth, digging her nails of one hand into Nicole’s shoulder. 

She moaned, moving her hands to Waverly’s hips and quickly flipping them over once again, shifting to slot her thigh in between Waverly’s legs as she pulled her lower lip into her mouth, letting go of it with a pop as she roughly ground against her. Waverly’s hands immediately grabbed each side of Nicole’s neck as her back arched up into her, pushing her head back a bit. Nicole surged back down to meet her lips, and Waverly tried to slow it down, but Nicole seemed to not be backing down anymore. 

Her brow furrowed, though, when one of Nicole’s breaths seemed choked just as she felt a drop hit her cheek. She moved her hands to press against her chest, keeping her from being able to lean down towards her lips anymore. “Baby- Hey.” 

Nicole quickly pushed off of her and got up off the bed, locking her hands behind her head as she paced to the other side of the room with tears rolling down her cheeks. Waverly quickly stood, flicking the lamp sitting on the nightstand on and walking over to her. “Nic-” 

_ “Fuck!”  _ Nicole shouted before throwing her first through the barn wall. 

“Nicole!” Waverly rushed towards her and grabbed her arm, slowly pulling it back out of the hole so she didn’t scratch it on any of the wood slivers now surrounding it. “What the  _ hell?”  _ A sob finally left Nicole’s lips as she turned around and slid down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest and pressing her face against them. Waverly dropped down in front of her and took her hand, seeing that she just had some scratches and cuts all over, none of which looked too severe. “Don’t move,” she mumbled, standing up and going through the door in the room that connected to the main part of the barn and returning a few seconds later with a first aid kit. “Why’d you do that?” she asked softly as she grabbed a peroxide wipe and began wiping off the cuts. 

“I dunno,” she mumbled with her face still pressed against her legs. 

Waverly let out a heavy sigh, grabbing a pair of tweezers out of the kit and gently pulling out a few splinters. “I told you not to bottle it all up.” 

“I’m sorry,” she choked out as she lifted her head. 

Waverly dropped the tweezers back into the box and moved it out of the way, pulling Nicole to her feet and walking her back over to the bed. “It’s ok. Just lay down.”

“Don’t leave me-”

“I’m  _ not,  _ Cole.” Waverly pushed down on her shoulder. “Lay back down.” Nicole did so, and Waverly peeked her head over the little trash can sitting next to her nightstand, seeing that it didn’t have anything in it. She grabbed the Walmart bag being used as a trash bag inside of it and flattened it, walking into the main barn again and grabbing a roll of duct tape. She taped the bag flat over the hole in the wall in hopes to keep some of the cold air out until they could put a board up over it or something. 

Waverly returned to the bed and flicked the lamp back off, sliding back under the covers next to her. “C’mere.” She pulled Nicole closer to her, grabbing her arm and pulling it around her middle as she coaxed her to rest the side of her head on her bicep with her face in her chest. Waverly wrapped an arm tightly around her, feeling her body shaking with the inconsistent cries racking through her. “Let it all out,” she mumbled, slowly pulling her fingers through her hair. 

And Nicole did just that.

Waverly was sure she had laid there at  _ least  _ 10 minutes with Nicole crying into her shirt. She didn’t mind at all really. She was honestly glad that Nicole was getting it all out finally because she had heard from Gus that she hadn’t been telling them anything about what she had been feeling earlier. Waverly’s hand continued to gently pull through her hair and scratch at her scalp, feeling the tension in her body slowly start to release after a few more minutes. 

Even after Nicole had quieted down, Waverly let the silence continue on. She wasn’t really sure what exactly Nicole needed right now, whether a silent companion or someone to help her work through things. If she decided it was the latter, though, Nicole was going to have to voice that for herself.

And the soft, even breathing coming from her after a little while later told Waverly she had officially given her  _ just  _ what she needed:

A rock to hold onto as she drifted asleep.

**February 3rd, 2019 11:48 AM**

Nicole flicked her eyes around the funeral home as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black slacks. She furrowed her brows and began walking towards her brother when she noticed that he was curled up in Curtis’ arms. “You ok, Buggy?” she asked softly as she ran her thumb over his cheek that wasn’t pressed against the man’s shoulder. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled with a sniffle.

Nicole looked up at Curtis in question, and he let out a sad sigh. “We just went over to the casket, and he’s havin’ a bit of a hard time with it.”

Nicole sighed sadly, reaching her hands out. “C’mere.” 

Nash unattached himself from Curtis and leaned towards her, and she lifted him into her own arms. “I don’t wanna go over there again.” 

“We won’t,” Nicole assured. “We won’t, it’s alright.”

Nash sniffled again as he snuggled his face up against her neck. “Ok.” 

Nicole ran her hand up and down his back, looking up and meeting Curtis’ sad eyes. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “For watching him for a bit.”

Curtis nodded with a little smile. “Anytime, Kid . . . Now I needa go find where my own lil girl ran off to.”

Nicole’s eyes immediately snapped towards the room in search of Waverly, and she realized that she didn’t know where she was. “I thought I saw her in here a few minutes ago . . .”

Curtis slid his hand down the front of his dark flannel with a sigh. “Yeah, well . . . She ain’t been to one of these things since her sister, so I know it ain’t gonna be a walk in the park for her.” 

Nicole pursed her lips. “I told her she didn’t have to come.”

Curtis clapped the shoulder Bug wasn’t taking up space on. “You’re gonna come to find out that girl’s willin’ to do anythin’ for ya.” 

Curtis turned away from the two redheads, knowing that Nicole now needed to process that statement along with everything else that was going on. He used his height as an advantage as he searched his eyes around the rather full room of people mourning Vikki’s death. In the back corner of the room, he spotted his wife wrestling a flask out of Wynonna’s grip, but no Waverly. 

He sighed as nerves worked on his face, walking out of the room reserved for Vikki’s wake and looking around the lobby of the funeral home to see if she was out there. Still, no dice. He grabbed his jacket off the coat rack and headed outside to see if she had wandered out there, and after looking at all of the benches that lined the front of the building, he was moments away from giving up on the search.

That was until he spotted a certain brunette sitting on the tailgate of Wynonna’s truck across the parking lot. 

Curtis sighed, pulling his jacket on a little tighter as he walked over, pushing his hands into the front pockets of his dark jeans and slowing as he approached her. “Darlin’?”

Waverly turned her head to look at him, looking back out at the road in front of her and wiping her face. “What?”

Curtis stopped at the edge of the tailgate with furrowed brows. “What’re ya doin’ out here all by your lonesome?” 

She let out a sad huff with a shake of her head. “. . . I dunno.”

“Ya mind if I sit with ya?” he asked gently, and Waverly shook her head. Curtis hopped up onto the tailgate and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to lean into him. “Tell me what’s goin’ on.” 

“I just-” She wiped her face on her sleeve with a heavy huff. “I don’t wanna be in there all upset, knowing it’s not over what everyone else is upset about. It feels  _ wrong.”  _

“There ain’t no rules on expressin’ emotion, you know that.”

“I’m not even that sad over her dying right now, though,” Waverly mumbled. “I’m sad ‘cause of, like, everything being here brings back.”

Curtis gave her a tighter squeeze as he understood what she was getting at. “I know ya ain’t like thinkin’ ‘bout the past. It hurts ‘n I understand that.” He sat back and pulled his jacket off, draping it over her shoulders when he noticed she didn’t have anything but her dress on to shield her from the cold. “But I know ya got big enough of a heart to care about what’s goin’ on in there, and I also know there ain’t nothin’ you want more than to comfort them two Haughts.” 

“Yeah, well, I can’t comfort them like this,” she huffed as she raised her head to look at him. 

He lifted his hands to her face and wiped the evidence of tears away, keeping his hands there as he gave her a soft smile. “It ain’t gonna matter how ya do it, just that ya do.”

Waverly let out a raspberry, leaning her face against his shoulder for a few seconds to gain some composure before nodding. “Ok. I’m good.”

“Ya sure?” he asked with furrowed brows. “I’d be happy to stay out here with ya a lil longer if ya need it.” 

She shook her head, pushing off the tailgate and smoothing down the front of her dress. “I’m alright.”

He pushed off and shut it, dropping his arm over her shoulder as they slowly started walking back to the funeral home. “If anythin’, ‘least ya got a day outta school for this.”

“Curtis!” Waverly smacked his arm. “That’s not nice.” 

“I’m sorry! Just tryna make ya feel better, is all.” 

She shook her head at him before letting out a little laugh. “You’re the best, you know that?” 

He gave her that soft smile that never failed to melt her heart. “I ain’t much, Darlin’.” 

“Yeah, you are,” she argued with a pouty lip. 

He chuckled and pulled the door open, dropping a hand to her shoulder to coax her in. “Whatever ya say, Sweetheart.”

The two made their way back inside, and Waverly immediately met Nicole’s eyes the second she walked back into the room. She didn’t know how it had happened, but it did, and the next thing she knew, Nicole’s hands were on her shoulders and there was a sad look in her eyes as she stared down at her. 

“You ok?” she asked gently after Curtis had continued forward to give them a moment alone. 

“I’m fine, Nic. Don’t worry about me.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m gonna.” 

Waverly pouted her lip at her. “Aw, you care about me?” 

Nicole rolled her eyes at her, turning and shoving her hands into her pockets as they walked further into the room towards their seats. “That’s pushing it.”

They settled into their seats just as many other people in the room did. The service was starting in all but a few short minutes, and it seemed that many people, along with Nicole and the rest, were trying to psych themselves up for it. Nicole had Wynonna on one side and Waverly on the other since Nash had decided to sit on Curtis’ lap next to Waverly. 

One of the funeral directors introduced the main guy that was going to be leading the service, and Nicole’s teeth locked down on the sides of her cheeks; that was the only way she knew she would be able to keep her composure. 

The man led them all through a few prayers and such since that was the kind of thing that Vikki’s family wanted for her. Nicole wasn’t religious by any means, but she bowed her head and went through all the motions as if she was actually participating in whatever it was that the nice man was saying. 

About halfway through the service, Nash’s art teacher and Vikki’s daughter, Ms. Carters, said a few words about her mother that really grounded the situation for just about everyone. Nicole had kept it together all up until Nash had wiggled off of Curtis’ lap to give her a hug as she walked back to her seat. Nicole wiped her face and pushed a hand through her hair with a shaky breath, meeting her brother’s eyes with a sad smile when he crawled back up on Curtis. 

The man leading the service said some more things, walked them through a few more bible scriptures, and said a few other quotes and things of that nature. Nicole swallowed in anticipation, closing her eyes when she heard him pause for a beat. 

“Now, before I round off this service, we have one last member of Vikki’s loved ones that would like to say a few words. I’m told by close members of Vikki’s family that she was like a daughter to her, so, uhm . . . Nicole Haught, you can come on up.” 

Nicole got up and pulled at the knot on her black tie, ignoring all the confused looks everyone in her row of seating was shooting her. She hadn’t told any of them that she was going to be saying anything simply for the fact that she didn’t want any of them trying to  _ psych  _ her up for it because she was already dealing with it herself and didn’t need any more help. 

She gave the man a tight-lipped smile when she stopped at the podium and he gave her shoulder a pat before moving off to the side. Nicole set her phone down with her notes pulled up, glancing up at all of the eyes on her. She nudged her glasses up her nose, clearing her throat and dropping both hands to rest on the top of the podium. 

“I, uh- Some of you might know who I am, some of you might not. If you don’t . . . Well, lucky you.” A little laugh passed over the room. “Poor Vikki was unfortunate enough to  _ have  _ met me at almost  _ midnight  _ in her McDonald’s December 17th of last year. I walked into that restaurant as some scared 16, almost 17 year old piping hot outta juvie with nowhere else to go, and it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Nicole swallowed a little. “I threw her for a bit of a loop when the only thing I asked her for at the counter was a job application, so she did just what you probably expect. Got me some food-  _ way too much  _ food. Forced me to eat it. Got to know me a little bit. By the end of the night, I walked out of that McDonald’s with a uniform, work schedule, and . . . and not only a guide to the light at the end of the tunnel for me and my baby brother for the first time, but also, uh . . . someone I’ll forever be proud to call the first motherly figure we’ve ever had.”

She shifted on her feet, flicking her eyes down for a few moments to keep her composure before continuing again. “Anyone that knew Vikki knew that she truly was a vibrant soul. She literally lit up the room whenever she walked in. She was also just one of those people with such the urge to help others that sometimes it got her into trouble. I know the only arguments we ever got in was when she would offer me too much. It got to the point where she would just start shoving a 20 in my pocket and kick me out of the McDonald’s right before my shift ended so I wouldn’t even get a chance to yell at her for it . . . I made the mistake of parking too far up in the parking lot one night, and she found out we’d been sleeping in it every night. A week later, a mysterious grand was on my paycheck, and she was bootin’ me off to go get us a motel room.”

Nicole shook her head with a sigh. “That’s just the kind of woman Vikki was. She was selfless and kind and loving and . . . just the best. Everyone that knew her knew that. And you knew that if you  _ did  _ know her that she loved you. That woman didn’t  _ care  _ that I was a street rat ‘cause to  _ her,  _ I was just a butterfly that hadn’t spread her wings yet or whatever. She didn’t  _ care  _ that I was covered in tats and piercings that were  _ supposed  _ to be against the dress code because to her,  _ nobody  _ should have to hide the ways they express themselves. She didn’t  _ care  _ that I was the stubbornest person alive. She, uh, she sure got on my ass for it, but I sure deserved it.” Another laugh rolled over.

Nicole scrolled down on her notes with a small smile on her lips. “And she didn’t  _ care  _ that I’m gay- In fact, she was the complete opposite actually. She would act like my personal matchmaker while I was working, which just usually meant anytime a teenage girl of any kind was at the counter, she made me take their order, but still. It’s the thought that counts.” 

That got another little laugh, and Nicole let out a sigh, “She just . . . There wasn’t a  _ hint  _ of judgement in her heart. There wasn’t room for it. Her heart was just too filled with love for her family and friends and even for those that she hadn’t met yet that there wasn’t room for any hate or judgement or spitefulness . . . I could keep telling you all the good things there was about her, but we’d be here for eternity. She- She was one of those people that you could use every good word to describe. She was beautiful, both inside and out, and . . .” Nicole let her eyes fall to the casket for the first time since moving up there. “And we’re all gonna miss her. A lot. She touched the lives of a lot of people, so I, uh . . . I know that the memory of her will live on for a long time whether she likes it or not.” 

Nicole didn’t see a dry eye in the room after wiping at her own, and she slowly grabbed her phone and dropped it back into her pocket as she headed back to her seat. She lifted Nash off of Curtis’ lap when she passed him since she saw that’s what he had wanted, and she dropped down into her chair with a shaky breath as she wrapped an arm around Nash to hug him close.

She felt Wynonna’s head move to lean on her shoulder and Waverly’s hand grab her own to interlock their fingers. She pressed her face against his neck, feeling his hands gripping at the fabric on her chest of her black button-up. She felt Wynonna’s hand giving her thigh a squeeze and Waverly wrapping herself around her arm, and that was about all she focused on for the final part of the service as the man closed it up. 

They did the final pass of the casket, and Nicole kept her hand pressed against the back of Nash’s head to keep his face on her shoulder since she knew he didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. They all made their way out of the funeral home and slowly out to the parking lot where both Wynonna and Gus and Curtis’ trucks were parked. 

Nicole set Nash down on the hood of one of the trucks and cupped his face to stop his tears from falling. “It’s ok,” she whispered. “Shh, it’s ok.”

“No,” he mumbled, trying to reach out for her to get her to hug him again. She sighed, wrapping one arm around his middle and pushing the other hand into his hair. Her eyes opened after a few seconds when she felt another pair of arms wrap around her and her brother, and the strawberry shampoo that wafted right into her nose told her that it was Waverly. 

The next body wrapping her in a hug on the other side of her body that reeked of whiskey was none other than Wynonna Earp. 

After that, flowers and herbs filled her nose when Gus joined on.

And finally, cigars and cinnamon gum was the last to come when Curtis’ arms wrapped around all of them at once to complete the group hug, and Nicole let out a heavy breath of relief, hearing her baby brother finally relax for the first time since the night everything went down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope we did this chap justice
> 
> follow us on instagrammmmmm @lookingtobelong  
> we've got a surprise for y'all coming soon ;)


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